HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 


LOUISIANA, 


EMBRACING 


MANY  RARE  AND  VALUABLE  DOCUMENTS 


RELATING    TO    THE 


NATURAL,  CIVIL  AND  POLITICAL 

HISTORY   OF  THAT   STATE. 


COMPILED    WITH 


HISTORICAL  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTES, 


INTRODUCTION, 


B.  F.  FRENCH, 

fhnorarii  *We/itbi:r  of  the  Historical  Socic ttj  of  Pennsylvania  ;   Corresponding  *Vcwter 
of  the  .Icadc/ny  c/  Natural  Sciences  of  Vkiladclphia,  <.tc. 


1'AKT  I. 

HISTORICAL    IHXT'MENTs    KR'/M    1078    TO    IfiOl. 


N  E  W    Y  O  R  K  : 
\\"  I  L  E  Y    A  N  ] )    P  U  T  N  A  M  . 

1S46. 


r.NTERED  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1346,  by 

I!.  F.  FRKNCII, 
in  the  Clerk's  Oflice  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of  Xcw  York. 


CITIZENS   OF   LOUISIANA 


THIS  WORK 


18    MOST    RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATED 


RENJA.MIX  r.  ITJ:.\C-[[. 


Orleans,  No.  175  Carondclet  street. 


i 


INTRODUCTION, 


ALL  that  extensive  truct  of  country,  formerly  known  by  the  name  of  Lou- 
isiana, bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Rio  Perdido.  west  by  the  Rio  del  Norte 
and  stretching  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,* 
embracing  the  present  disputed  country  of  Oregon,  was  claimed  by  France, 
by  right  of  contiguity,  discovery  and  settlement,  as  a  part  of  her  territorial 
possessions  in  North  America,  in  the  seventeenth  century. 

As  early  as  1673  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  river  was  accom- 
plished by  Father  Marquette  and  Sieur  Joliet,  who  explored  it  to  the  Indian 
village  of  the  Kappas,  on  the  Arkansas  river  ;  and  there,  having  satisfied 
themselves  that  it  emptied  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  the  west  of  Florida, 
they  set  out  for  Canada  on  the  17th  of  July.  Sieur  Joliet  returned  to  Que- 
bec to  announce  the  discovery,  while  the  holy  father  tarried  by  the  way  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  Miamies  of  the  lake.  For  two  years  he  toiled  to 
convert  the  heathen,  and  expound  to  them  the  mysteries  of  the  Catholic 
faith.  Coasting  the  lake  from  Chicago  to  Mackinaw,  on  his  holy  mission. 
he  landed  on  the  banks  of  a  stream,  now  bearing  his  name,  which  flows  into 
Lake  Michigan,  and  erected  an  altar.  He  then  requested  to  be  left  alone  • 
and,  while  offering  up  solemn  thanks  and  supplication,  he  fell  asleep  to  wake 
no  more.  !:  A  light  breeze  from  the  lake  sighed  his  requiem,  and  the  Algon- 
quin nation  became  his  mourners."  Thus  perished  the  discoverer  of  the 
river  Mississippi. 

But  the  honor  of  perfecting  the  exploration  of  the  Father  of  Waters,  and 
the  taking  possession  of  the  country  which  he  named  Louisiana,  was 
reserved  for  the  most  extraordinary  man  of  his  age,  ROBERT  CAVELIER  DE 
LA  SALLE. 

He  was  a  native  of  France  ;  and  when  the  attention  of  Europe,  in  the 
seventeenth  century,  was  directed  to  the  colonization  of  North  America,  he 
turned  his  steps  thither.  Under  the  patronage  of  Louis  XIV.,  he  explored 
the  great  lakes  of  the  North  ;  and  subsequently  returning  to  France,  he  was 
rewarded  for  his  services  with  a  title  of  nobility,  and  a  grant  of  lands 
around  and  including  Fort  Frontenac.  He  then  returned  to  Canada,  and 
occupied  himself  in  rebuilding  his  fort,  and  pursuing  his  discoveries  to  the 
West. 

*  According  to  old  document?,  the  bishopric  of  Louisiana  extended  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean. 


Vlll  INTRODUCTION. 

In  1677,  he  re-visited  France,  and  offered  to  Seignelay,  the  son  of  the 
Great  Colbert,  his  plans  to  explore  the  river  Mississippi  to  its  mouth,  and 
establish  a  chain  of  military  posts  to  connect  the  great  valley  of  the  West 
with  the  French  possessions  in  Canada.  Letters  patent  were  accordingly 
issued. 

Accompanied  by  the  faithful  Chevalier  de  Tonty,  he  returned  to  Canada; 
and,  in  February,  1682,  set  out  on  his  expedition  to  explore  the  Mississippi, 
the  mouths  of  which  he  readied  on  the  9th  of  April,  and  on  the  same  day 
he  planted  the  arms  of  France  on  its  banks,  took  possession  of  the  country 
in  the  name  of  his  sovereign,  and  gave  it  the  name  of  LOUISIANA. 

He  once  more  returned  to  France.  In  1G84,  he  set  out  with  an  expedi- 
tion of  four  ships  and  two  hundred  and  eighty  persons,  with  full  powers 
from  his  sovereign  to  build  forts  and  colonize  Louisiana.  On  this  occasion 
he  was  fortunate  in  selecting  a  friend,  M.  Joutel,  who  proved  no  less  faithful 
than  the  Chevalier  de  Tonty,  and  who  ultimately  became  the  historian  of  the 
first  colony  planted  in  Louisiana. 

The  Historical  Journal  of  M.  Joutel,  a  work  extremely  rare  and  interest- 
ing, will  be  found  printed  in  this  volume. 

M.  la  Salle  finally  arrived  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  but  being  deceived  in 
his  reckoning,  he  passed  the  mouths  of  the  Mississippi,  and  after  much  diffi- 
culty he  effected  a  landing  in  the  bay  of  St.  Bernard  (now  Matagorda),  where 
he  built  a  fort.  At  this  time,  no  Spanish  settlement  was  nearer  than  Pa- 
nuco — and  no  French  settlement  than  Illinois. 

After  making  repeated  attempts  to  find  the  Mississippi,  M.  la  Salle,  with 
a  party  of  sixteen  men,  in  1687,  set  out  for  Canada  in  quest  of  supplies, 
leaving  the  remainder  of  the  colony  at  Fort  St.  Louis. 

On  the  20th  of  March  he  reached  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Trinity,  with 
his  party,  when  lie  was  assassinated  by  one  of  his  turbulent  companions. 

"  Thus  perished,"  says  Father  Anastase,  "our  wise  conductor — constant 
in  adversities,  intrepid,  generous,  skilful,  and  capable  of  anything.  lie  died 
jn  the  vigor  of  life;  in  the  midst  of  his  career  and  labors,  without  the  con- 
solation of  having  seen  their  results/' 

M.  la  Salle  was  universally  regarded  as  the  father  of  French  coloniza- 
tion in  the  great  Valley  of  the  West. 

In  1G!)8.  the  Canadian  brothers,  D'Iberville,  Bienville,  and  Siiuvole,  set 
sail  in  two  frigates,  with  about  two  hundred  settlers,  for  the  Gulf  of  Mexico: 
to  make  a  settlement  on  the  Mississippi,  and  to  establish  a  direct  intercourse 
between  France  and  .Louisiana.  They  reached  the  Chandeleur  Islands  in 
January,  l(Ji»9,  where  the  llect  cast  anchor. 

In  two  barges  the  brothers  Fought  the  Mississippi,  and  ascended  it  to  the 
village  of  the  Bayagoulas.  After  remaining  there  a  few  days  to  explore  the 
country,  they  returned  through  the  lakes  Maurepas  and  Pontchartrain,  and 
founded  the  colony  at  Old  Biloxi. 

In  1712,  the  king  of  France  granted  to  the  Sieur  Cro/.at  the  exclusive 
trade  uf  Louisiana  ;  and.  in  1717.  he  relinquished  it  to  the  company  of  the 
Indies,  at  the  head  of  which  was  the  celebrated  financier,  John  Law. 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

In  1722,  the  head-quarters  were  transferred  from  Biloxi  to  New  Orleans  ; 
and,  in  1732,  the  Western  Company  surrendered  their  grant  to  the  king. 

In  1762,  by  a  secret  treaty  between  the  courts  of  Versailles  and  Madrid, 
this  country  was  ceded  to  Spain.  The  French  colonists  openly  resisted  the 
Spanish  government,  but  the  rebellion  \vas  finally  quelled  by  the  arrival  of 
General  O'Reilly,  who  took  possession  of  the  country  in  1769. 

In  1800,  Spain  retroceded  Louisiana  to  France;  and,  in  1803,  France 
sold  the  country  to  the  United  States  for  fifteen  millions  of  dollars. 

In  offering  these  few  historical  remarks,  my  object  is  to  point  oat  some  of 
the  most  remarkable  epochs  in  the  history  of  Louisiana,  under  which  I  shall 
arrange  the  materials  in  my  possession, — first  publishing  those  relating  to 
the  discovery  and  settlement  of  the  country,  and  proceeding,  in  regular 
order,  to  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Among  these  will  be  found  many  rare  and  important  documents,  calculated 
to  throw  much  light  on  the  motives  and  policy  of  France  and  Spain  in  their 
government  of  this  country. 

It  is  well  known,  that  while  this  country  was  in  their  possession,  it  was 
almost  inaccessible  to  the  people  of  the  American  colonies.  Their  vessels 
were  interdicted  from  entering  their  ports,  and  other  acts  of  surveillance 
enforced. 

The  Spanish  government,  in  particular,  was  always  actuated  by  a  jealous 
and  intricate  policy,  and  the  colonial  archives  of  each  government,  as  they 
succeeded  each  other,  were  sent  either  to  Paris  or  Madrid,  and  there  locked 
up  from  the  scrutiny  of  the  world. 

Its  colonial  history  has  been,  therefore,  but  little  understood,  and  much 
ignorance  still  prevails  in  regard  to  it. 

In  thrilling  incidents,  and  the  glitter  and  pomp  of  martial  expeditions,  the 
history  of  Louisiana  is,  perhaps,  not  inferior  in  interest  to  any  of  the  states 
of  the  Union  ;  while  the  records  of  the  trial  of  Lafreniere,  Noyan,  Mazan; 
Marquis.  Villcre,  Carere,  Boisblanc,  Petit,  Milhet,  Poupet,  Doucet,  Foucault 
and  Bienville,  will  develope  a  deep-laid  plan  to  rid  this  country  of  Spanish 
tyranny,  and  establish  a  republic  on  the  plan  of  the  Swiss  Cantons.  In 
1765.  deputies  were  sent  to  the  English  governor  of  Pensacola  to  solicit  the 
aid  of  the  English  government  in  behalf  of  this  project ;  but  England  was  at 
that  time  too  much  engaged  in  keeping  down  the  republican  spirit  of  her 
own  rebellious  colonies  to  listen  to  or  countenance  any  overtures  of  that 
nature.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  sentiments  of  Liberty  and  Independ- 
ence were  not  confined,  at  this  early  period,  to  the  master-spirits  of  the  East, 
but  animated  alike  the  bosoms  of  patriots  throughout  the  whole  extent  of 
North  America. 


CONTENTS, 


Discourse  delivered  before  the  Historical  Society  of  Louisiana    . 

Memoir  of  Robert  Cavelier  de  la  Salle  on  the  necessity  of  fitting  out  an 
Expedition  to  take  possession  of  Louisiana  ...... 

Letters  Patent  to  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle 

Memoir  of  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  reporting  to  Monseigneur  de  Seignelay 
the  Discoveries  made  by  him  under  the  order  of  his  Majesty  .  .  .  37 

Account  (Proces  Verbal)  of  the  taking  possession  of  Louisiana  by  M.  de  la 
Salle 45 

Will  of  M.  de  la  Salle 51 

Memoir  sent  in  1693,  on  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  neigh- 
boring Nations,  by  M.  de  la  Salle,  from  the  year  1073  to  the  time  of  his 
Death,  and  by  the  Sieur  de  Tonty  to  the  year  1G91  ....  ~y> 

Chevalier  de  Tonty's  Petition  to  the  King 79 

Chevalier  de  Tonty's  Account  of  the  Route  from  the  Illinois  by  the  River 
Mississippi  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico S2 

Joutel's  Historical  Journal  of  M.  de  la  Salle's  last  Voyage  to  discover  the 
River  Mississippi  ...........  35 

Account  of  the  Discovery  of  the  River  Mississippi  and  the  adjacent  Country 
by  Father  Louis  Hennepin  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19") 

Account  of  M  de  la  Salle's  Undertaking  to  discover  the  River  Mississippi 
by  way  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  by  Father  Louis  Hennepin  '214 


A  DISCOURSE 

* 

DELIVERED    BEFORE    TUB 

HISTORICAL    SOCIETY   OF   LOUISIANA, 

JANUARY  13,  1836. 

BY 

HENRY    A.    BULLARD, 

PRESIDENT    OF    THE    SOCIETY. 


GENTLEMEN  : 

AT  our  preliminary  meeting  you  were  pleasei  to  request 
me  to  read  to  you,  at  this  time,  a  paper  upon  the  expediency 
and  utility  of  establishing  a  Historical  Society  in  this  State. 
The  same  causes  which  kept  me  from  the  discharge  of  public 
duties  during  the  last  summer  and  autumn,  prevented  my 
making  any  adequate  preparation  for  this  occasion,  and  the 
few  remarks  which  I  have  to  offer,  are  intended  to  evince  my 
zeal  in  the  cause  which  has  called  us  together,  and  my  ready 
obedience  to  your  call,  rather  than  as  at  all  worthy  of  the 
subject  or  the  occasion. 

To  minds  exclusively  devoted  to  the  pursuit  of  wealth,  and 
bending  all  their  energies  to  that  single  purpose,  it  would 
seem  a  startling  proposition,  that  there  could  be  anything 
either  of  interest  or  utility  in  inquiries  into  the  history  of  the 
first  discovery  and  settlement  of  Louisiana  by  Europeans  ;  in 
rescuing  from  threatened  oblivion  the  records  of  its  first  colo- 
nization ;  in  efforts  to  bring  to  light  and  to  perpetuate,  by 
means  of  the  press,  all  such  documents  as  would  form  the 
elements  of  an  authentic  history  of  our  multiform  population, 

2 


2  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

and  the  successive  changes  in  the  forms  of  colonial  govern- 
ment, and  the  progress  of  its  settlement  under  the  different 
sovereigns  who  have  successively  ruled  this  country.  But  the 
time  has  arrived,  I  trust,  when  pursuits  of  a  character  purely 
literary,  will  have  their  value  among  us  ;  when  those  who 
engage  in  researches,  having  only  truth  for  their  object, 
although  barren  of  immediate  results,  will  be  regarded  as 
contributing  in  some  measure  to  the  public  good,  by  adding 
something  to  the  stock  of  our  national  literature.  As  contem- 
porary history  is  liable  to  be  discolored  by  interest,  by  preju- 
dice and  passion,  each  generation,  as  it  passes  away,  is  under 
obligations  to  its  successors  to  furnish  them  those  authentic 
materials  for  which  alone  its  true  character  can  be  known  to 
posterity,  and  to  perpetuate  the  public  documents  and  corre- 
spondence which  accompany  and  explain  every  public  transac- 
tion. But  we,  who  are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  the  labors,  and 
fatigues,  and  sufferings  of  our  predecessors,  owe  it  also  to  their 
memory,  to  snatch  from  oblivion  the  record  of  their  actions, 
and  no  longer  to  leave  their  fame  to  rest  on  the  loose,  and 
garbled,  and  exaggerated  narrations  of  contemporary  writers, 
or  catch-penny  authors  of  what  ihe  world  calls  history. 
History,  Gentlemen,  as  it  is  generally  written,  is  at  best  but 
an  approximation  to  truth,  I  had  almost  said,  an  approximation 
to  probability.  It  is  true  the  exaggerated  and  marvellous 
statements  of  travellers,  or  discoverers  and  settlers,  as  to 
physical  features  and  productions  of  a  new  country,  and  the 
characters  of  its  aboriginal  inhabitants,  may  easily  be  cor- 
rected by  subsequent  observation  and  experience.  The 
width  of  the  Mississippi,  for  example,  below  this  capital,  had 
dwindled  from  a  league  to  less  than  a  mile  :  St.  Louis  is  no 
longer  in  latitude  4.">  north,  and  XJ7<5  longitude  ;  quarries  of 
emeralds,  silver  mines  and  gold  dust,  are  nowhere  found  in 
Louisiana.  But  the  narratives  of  events  and  transactions,  by 
real  or  pretended  eye-witnesses,  or  by  the  authors  of  histories 
and  memoirs,  can  only  be  tested  by  reference  to  authentic 
records,  or  by  their  own  intrinsic  evidence  of  their  falsity  or 
truth.  This  latter  test  is  not  always  to  be  relied  on,  for 
the  true  is  not  always  probable.  Tradition,  ornamented  and 
colored  by  fiction,  has  always  proved,  from  the  earliest  records 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  3 

of  our  race,  a  large  ingredient  in  the  composition  of  history. 
Hence  the  origin  and  early  annals,  not  only  of  the  people  and 
states  of  antiquity,  but  of  many  of  comparatively  modern  date, 
are  involved  in  mystery  and  fable.  But  it  would  be  a  matter 
of  just  reproach,  if  a  people,  whose  first  lodgment  on  the  con- 
tinent was  made  long  since  the  discovery  of  the  art  of  print- 
ing ;  whose  entire  annals  embrace  a  period  of  the  highest 
civilisation  ;  if  such  a  people,  I  say,  should  suffer  to  perish  the 
muniments  of  its  early  history,  and  the  mists  of  fiction  to  settle 
on  its  origin  and  progress. 

In  many  of  the  States  of  this  Union,  of  British  origin, 
historical  societies  have  been  organized,  whose  labors  have 
been  eminently  successful.  A  mass  of  materials  has  been 
accumulated  and  ^reserved  by  means  of  the  press,  which  ex- 
cludes the  possibility  of  future  misrepresentations  in  regard  to 
the  true  history  of  the  country,  and  the  times  to  which  they 
relate.  It  is  singularly  interesting  to  look  at  the  conduct  and 
characters  of  our  ancestors  through  such  a  medium.  We  see 
them  as  they  were  ;  we  hear  them  speak  the  language  of  their 
own  age  ;  we  are  brought  in  immediate  contact  with  the 
founders  of  our  rising  empire ;  we  trace  the  gradual  progress 
of  their  settlement,  from  the  sea-board  to  the  interior  ;  we 
witness  their  privations,  their  sufferings,  their  unflinching  firm- 
ness and  constancy  of  purpose.  At  a  more  recent  period,  we 
are  introduced  into  the  primitive  assemblies  of  the  people  ;  we 
observe  the  gradual  development  of  those  opinions  and  princi- 
ples, which  at  this  day  lay  at  the  foundation  of  our  free  popular 
institutions ;  the  first  discussed,  when  the  threatened  encroach- 
ments of  power  upon  right  were  met  and  resisted,  and  the 
blood  of  the  Barons  of  Runymeade  cried  out  for  Magna 
Charta,  in  the  wilderness  of  a  new  world. 

Gentlemen,  the  field  of  research  wrhich  we  propose  to  ex- 
plore, is  vast  and  in  a  great  measure  new.  It  is  proposed  to 
extend  our  inquiries  into  the  history  of  all  that  country 
formerly  possessed  by  France  and  Spain,  under  the  name  of 
Louisiane  ;  to  endeavor  to  bring  to  light  and  to  perpetuate  by 
means  of  the  press,  all  authentic  papers  relating  thereto  ;  to 
collect  interesting  traditions,  private  histories  and  correspond- 
ences, and  pictures  of  manners  ;  to  investigate  the  progress  of 


4  DISCOURSE     DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

our  jurisprudence  ;  the  state  of  religion,  and  the  condition  of 
the  Indian  tribes  in  that  \vhole  region.  It  is  obvious  that  many 
of  the  original  documents  and  records,  relating  to  the  settle- 
ment and  colonization  of  that  extensive  region,  must  exist  in 
the  public  archives  at  Paris,  Madrid,  and  Seville,  as  well  as 
the  Havana  ;  some  in  the  archives  of  the  former  government 
in  this  city,  at  St.  Louis  and  Natchez  ;  others  again  at  nota- 
ries' offices,  here  ;  in  the  parochial  records  of  the  different 
posts  in  the  interior,  and  much  interesting  matter  in  possession 
of  the  families  of  some  of  the  earlier  settlers  of  the  country. 
It  is  becoming  more  and  more  difficult  every  day,  to  bring 
together  from  sources  so  various  and  so  widely  dispersed, 
such  memorials  as  may  yet  exist.  It  is  time,  therefore,  to 
begin  the  work  in  earnest  and  methodically 

Before  I  proceed,  Gentlemen,  to  make  a  few  remarks  on  the 
several  heads  into  which  the  programme  of  our  proposed  re- 
searches is  naturally  divided,  let  us  pause  and  take  a  momen- 
tary survey  of  the  population  of  the  country  as  it  exists,  whose 
origin  and  first  establishment  it  will  become  us  to  investigate 
more  minutely  in  the  progress  of  our  labors.  Like  the  rich 
soil  upon  our  great  rivers,  the  population  may  be  said  to  be 
alluvial  ;  composed  of  distinctly  colored  strata,  not  yet  per- 
fectly amalgamated  ;  left  by  successive  waves  of  emigration. 
Here  we  trace  the  gay,  light-hearted,  brave  chivalry  of 
France  ;  the  more  impassioned  and  devoted  Spaniard  ;  the 
untiring  industry  and  perseverance  of  the  German,  and  the 
bluff'  sturdincss  of  the  British  race.  Here  were  thrown  the 
wreck  of  Acadie,  and  the  descendants  of  those  unhappy  fugi- 
tives still  exist  in  various  parts  of  this  State.  Little  colonies 
from  Spain,  or  the  Spanish  islands  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  were 
scattered  in  different,  parts  of  the  country.  Such  were  New 
Iberia  in  Attakapas,  Valon/uela  in  Lafourche,  Terre  aux  Bccufs 
and  Galve/ton.  They  still  retain,  to  a  certain  extent,  their 
language,  manners  and  pursuits.  There  are,  in  the  Western 
District,  some  families  of  Gipsey  origin,  who  still  retain  the 
peculiar  complexion  and  wildness  of  eye,  that  characterize 
that  singular  race.  The  traces  of  the  Canadian  hunter  and 
boatman  are  not  yet  entirely  effaced.  The  Germans,  I  be- 
lieve, have  totally  lost  the  language  of  their  fatherland.  The 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  5 

country  of  the  German  coast  is,  perhaps,  the  only  existing 
memorial  of  the  celebrated  John  Law,  the  author  of  the  most 
stupendous  scheme  of  banking,  and  stock-jobbing,  and  fraud, 
that  was  ever  practised  on  the  credulity  of  modern  times. 
Among  the  earliest  concessions  of  land  in  the  province,  was 
one  in  favor  of  Law,  situated  on  the  Arkansas,  and  prior  to 
the  settlement  of  New  Orleans :  he  had  sent  over  a  small 
colony  of  Germans  to  take  possession  and  improve  it;  but  on 
the  downfall  of  the  grantee,  his  colonists  broke  up  the  esta- 
blishment, and  returned  to  this  city,  where  they  obtained,  each 
for  himself,  a  small  grant  of  land  on  the  Mississippi,  at  a  place 
which  has  ever  since  been  called  the  German  coast.  The 
little  colonies  of  Spaniards  at  Xew  Iberia  and  Terre  aux 
Bceufs,  never  had  any  written  concessions,  they  were  put  in 
possession  by  the  public  surveyor,  and  it  was  not  until  long 
since  the  change  of  government,  that  their  descendants  ob- 
tained an  authentic  recognition  of  their  title  from  the  United 
States.  But  time  does  not  permit  me  to  pursue  this  subject 
any  farther  ;  these  few  hints  are  intended  merely  to  direct 
your  attention  to  it,  as  one  of  curious  interest. 

I  proceed,  Gentlemen,  to  submit  a  few  remarks  on  some  of 
the  several  heads  of  our  proposed  plan.  1st,  The  general  his- 
tory of  the  province  from  its  first  discovery  to  the  present 
day.  2d,  The  progress  of  our  jurisprudence  and  state  of  reli- 
gion ;  and  3d,  The  condition  of  the  Indian  tribes.  It  is,  by  no 
means,  my  purpose  to  attempt  to  give  you  a  full  view  of  the 
present  state  of  our  knowledge  on  these  topics,  much  less  to 
collate  or  criticise  the  various  histories  and  memoirs  which 
have  appeared,  even  if  I  were  capable  of  the  task.  But  let 
us  see  in  what  particulars  our  knowledge  is  clearly  defective, 
and  whether  it  be  probable  that  by  proper  diligence  the  defi- 
ciency may  be  supplied,  and  errors  or  misrepresentations 
corrected. 

The  successive  changes  of  government  form,  naturally,  the 
epochs  of  our  history.  The  first  extends  from  the  discovery 
of  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  by  La  Salle  in  1081,  from  the 
interior,  by  way  of  the  Lakes,  until  the  grant  to  Crozat  in  1712. 
2d,  Under  the  monopoly  of  Crozat,  until  1717.  3d.  Under 
the  administration  of  the  Western  Company,  until  the  surren- 


6  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

der  of  their  grant,  1732.  4th,  Under  the  direct  authority  of 
the  crown  of  France,  until  the  final  delivery  of  the  province  to 
Spain,  17G9,  in  pursuance  of  the  treaty  of  Paris.  5th,  Under 
the  government  of  Spain,  until  the  treaty  of  cession  in  1803  ; 
and  lastly,  as  an  integral  part  of  the  United  States,  whether 
as  a  territory  or  a  state. 

I.  I  think  it  cannot  be  controverted,   that  Robert  Cavelier 
de  la  Salle  first  discovered  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  on  the 
7th  of  April,  1082.     Accompanied  by  the  Chevalier  de  Tonti, 
and  a  few  followers,  he  descended  from  the  mouth  of  the  Illi- 
nois to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  passing  through  numerous  tribes  of 
Indians,  not  in  hostile  array,  but  his  most  effectual  arms,  the 
Calumet  of  peace.     De  la  Salle  was,  without  dolibt,  a  man  of 
great  energy  and  enterprise,  ardent  and  brave,  sagacious  and 
prudent,  and  of  conciliatory  manners.     He  appears  to   have 
been,  at  the  same  time,  feared,  respected,  and  even  beloved  by 
the  natives.     I   should  not   have  considered  it  necessary  to 
mention  this  fact  of  the  first  discovery,  as  one  well  settled,  if 
attempts  had  not  been  made  to  create  some  doubts  about  it,  if 
not  to  deprive  him  of  that  honor,  and  to  confer  it  upon  Father 
Louis  Hennepin,  a  missionary  of  the  order  of  St.  Francis.     In 
the  first  volume  of  "The  Condensed  Geography  and  History 
of  the  Western  States,  or  the  Mississippi  Valley,"'  published  a 
few7   years   ago  at  Cincinnati,   under   the   particular  head   of 
"history,'5  not  a  word  is  said  of  De  la  Salic  having  explored 
the  course  of  the  river  as  far  as  the  Gulf,  and  of  his   having 
taken  formal  possession  of  the  country,   in   the  name  of  the 
King  of  France.     On  the  contrary,  it  is  asserted,  that  in  the 
spring  of  the  previous  year,  Hennepin,  who  had  been  instruct- 
ed, in  the  absence  of  De  la  Salle,  to  explore  the  sources  of  the 
river,   finding  it  easier  to  descend  than  to  ascend,  had  pro- 
ceeded down  and  readied  the  Balixc  in   sixteen   days,  "if  his 
word  can  be  taken  for  it,"  says  the   author,   from   the  time  of 
his  departure  from  the  mouth  ot'the  Illinois.     In  the  next  place, 
the  author  represents  that  DC  la  Salle,  in  1(»S;}.  after  laying  the 
foundations  of  Cahokia  and   Kaskaskia,   left  M.  de  Tonti  in 
command  of  those  establishments,   returned    to   Canada,  and 
thence  made  all  haste  to  France,   t<>  solicit  the  co-operation  of 
the  French  Ministry  in  his  views.     In   addition   to   the   utter 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  7 

improbability  of  this  whole  story,  it  is  completely  refuted  by 
the  testimony  of  the  Reverend  Father  himself.  His  first  pub- 
lication after  his  return  to  France,  and  the  first  edition  of  it,  is 
now  in  my  possession.  It  was  published  on  the  5th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1083,  the  author  being  then  in  Paris,  and  was  dedicated 
to  the  king  of  France.  The  work  is  entitled,  "  Description  de 
la  Louisiane  nouvellement  decouverte  au  sud-oiiest  de  la  Nou- 
velle  France."  He  gives  a  minute  account  of  his  voyage  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Illinois,  to  a  considerable  distance  above  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony ;  of  his  captivity,  during  eight  months, 
among  the  Indians  of  the  Upper  Mississippi ;  and  finally,  of 
his  return  to  some  of  the  French  posts  in  Canada  about  Whit- 
suntide (May),  1681.  The  "Privilege  du  Roi,"  for  the  publi- 
cation of  this  first  work  of  Hennepin,  was  granted  on  the  3d 
of  September,  1682.  Not  only  is  the  author  silent  as  to  any 
voyage  by  himself  down  the  river  as  far  as  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
or  of  his  having  descended  below  the  mouth  of  Illinois,  but  the 
concluding  paragraph  shows  conclusively,  that  he  at  that  time 
set  up  no  such  pretensions.  He  says,  in  conclusion, "  They  sent 
me  word,  this  year  (1682),  from  New  France,  that  M.  de  la 
Salle,  finding  that  I  had  made  peace  with  the  tribes  of  the 
north  and  the  north-west,  situated  more  than  five  hundred 
leagues  above,  on  the  river  Colbert  (Mississippi),  who  were  at 
war  with  the  Illinois  and  the  nations  of  the  south,  this  brave 
captain,  governor  of  Fort  Frontenac,  who,  by  his  zeal  and 
courage,  throws  new  lustre  on  the  names  of  the  Caveliers,  his 
ancestors,  descended  last  year  with  his  followers,  and  our 
Franciscans,  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  great  river  Colbert, 
and  to  the  sea,  and  that  he  traversed  unknown  nations,  some 
of  whom  are  civilized.  It  is  believed  he  is  about  to  return  to 
France,  in  order  to  give  the  court  a  more  ample  knowledge  of 
the  whole  of  Louisiana,  which  we  may  call  the  delight  and 
terrestrial  paradise  of  America.  The  king  might  form  there 
an  empire,  which,  in  a  short  time,  will  become  flourishing  in 
spite  of  the  opposition  of  any  foreign  power." 

In  another  part  of  the  same  work,  the  good  Father  says,  "We 
had  some  intention  to  descend  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Colbert,  which  probably  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  ra- 
ther than  into  the  Vermilion  Sea  :  but  those  natives  who  had 


8  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

arrested  us,  did  not  allow  us  time  to  navigate  the  river  both 
above  and  below."  Here  is  a  formal  disclaimer  of  any  dis- 
covery made  by  Hcnnepin,  and  an  announcement  that  the  dis- 
covery had  been  made  by  another  ;  and  yet  the  author  of  the 
Condensed  History  and  Geography  of  the  Western  States  re- 
presents Hennepin,  I  know  not  on  what  authority,  as  having 
reached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  25th  of  March,  1680;  a 
period  when,  according  to  his  own  account  of  himself,  he  was 
struggling  in  a  frail  canoe,  against  the  ice  and  currents  above 
the  mouth  of  Missouri.  One  is  tempted  to  repeat  the  reflec- 
tion of  Voltaire,  "  c'est  ainsi  que  1'on  ecrit  1'histoire." 

Father  Ilenncpin  did  not  certainly  much  overrate  the  great 
natural  fertility  and  resources  of  Louisiana.  But  it  is  not  a 
little  remarkable,  slow  and  lingering  were  the  first  attempts  to 
colonize  it,  although  made  under  the  immediate  auspices  of 
the  crown  of  France.  The  most  superficial  reader  of  history 
cannot  have  failed  to  remark  the  different  spirit  which  charac- 
terizes the  colonization  of  this  continent  by  Spain,  France  and 
England.  The  Spaniard  came  for  conquest  and  for  gold  ; 
regarding  the  aborigines  as  enemies  to  God  ;  no  alternative 
was  left  them  but  the  cross,  or  the  edge  of  the  sword  ;  even 
submission  did  not  save  them  from  the  most  abject  and  oppres- 
sive servitude.  France,  on  the  contrary,  cultivated  the  good 
will  of  the  natives,  and  was,  in  general,  eminently  successful 
in  gaining  their  friendship,  so  far  at  least  as  relates  to  Louisi- 
ana ;  commerce  with  them,  in  the  natural  productions  of  the 
country,  seems  to  have  been  their  primary  object.  Trade,  in 
fact,  was  the  basis  of  her  colonial  policy  ;  trade,  too,  not  open 
to  all  her  subjects,  but  in  the  hands  of  monopolists  by  grants 
from  the  crown,  and  maintained  in  the  enjoyment  of  it  by 
naval  and  military  power.  The  first  establishments  of  the 
French  were  rather  trading  houses  than  colonies.  The  Eng- 
lish colonies,  on  the  contrary,  were  for  the  most  part  the  off- 
spring of  individual  enterprise.  The  basis  of  their  system 
was  agriculture  combined  with  commerce;  they  brought  with 
them  their  household  gods  ;  they  sought  a  permanent  abiding 
place,  tor  themselves  and  their  posterity  ;  many  of  them,  far 
from  enjoying  the  patronage  and  protection  of  the  crown,  fled 
from  persecution  and  intolerance.  They  came,  and  as  soon 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  9 

as  private  interest  began  to  operate  freely,  on  a  soil  compara- 
tively sterile,  and  in  a  rigorous  climate,  the  country  was  con- 
verted into  a  garden.  The  English  colonists  brought  with 
them  the  germ  of  popular  self-government ;  at  very  early 
periods,  they  made  laws  for  themselves,  sometimes  in  assem- 
blies purely  democratic ;  generally  through  their  representa- 
tives, laws  suited  to  their  conditions  and  their  wants.  In  the 
colonies  of  France  and  Spain,  on  the  contrary,  except  in  mat- 
ters of  mere  local  police,  all  laws  and  regulations  came  over 
the  ocean.  Trade  in  its  most  minute  ramifications,  even  do- 
mestic trade,  was  fettered  with  precise  tariffs  of  prices  and 
profits,  instead  of  being  left  open  to  free  competition.  Ac- 
cording to  a  regulation  established  by  the  Western  Company, 
1721,  the  price  of  a  slave  sold  to  the  colonists  by  the  proprie- 
tary company,  was  fixed  at  six  hundred  livres,  on  a  credit  of 
one,  two  and  three  years  ;  tobacco,  in  leaf  or  twist,  was  bought 
at  their  warehouses  at  the  rate  of  twenty-five  livres  per  hun- 
dred ;  rice,  at  twelve  livres  the  quintal  ;  peltries  and  furs  had 
their  fixed  prices.  French  goods  were  sold  at  Biloxi,  Mobile 
and  New  Orleans,  at  five  per  cent,  advance  on  the  invoice 
price  in  France  ;  at  Natchez  and  Yazoo  at  seventy  per  cent, 
profit ;  at  Natchitochcs  and  Arkansas,  at  eighty  per  cent.,  and 
at  one  hundred  per  cent,  in  Illinois.  The  price  of  wine  was 
one  hundred  and  twenty  livres  the  barrique. 

There  sprung  out  of  this  spirit  of  petty  traffic,  a  class  of 
characters  altogether  unique  and  unknown  elsewhere,  called 
"  coureurs  des  bois,"  half  pedlers  and  half  hunters,  with  a  little 
finish  of  the  broker.  It  was  through  their  agency  that  goods 
imported  from  France,  were  pushed  into  the  most  remote  set- 
tlements of  the  country  and  to  the  Indian  villages,  and  ex- 
changed for  the  productions  of  the  country.  When  I  first 
came  to  this  country,  I  knew  some  old  dccrepid  men  of  that 
class  ;  crippled,  frost-bitten,  and  yet  at  an  extreme  old  age 
retaining  a  singular  predilection  for  that  wandering,  half  savage 
life,  and  still  dressed  in  skins,  with  leggins  and  moccasins. 

Appended  to  the  regulations  of  the  Western  Company,  to 
which  I  have  alluded,  was  a  strong  recommendation,  which  I 
mention,  to  show  how  singularly  it  has  been  neglected  up  to 
the  present  day.  The  company  earnestly  recommend  to  the 


10  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

colonists,  to  cultivate  silk,  to  plant  out  mulberry  trees,  and  offers 
as  high  a  price  for  raw  silk,  as  it  now  bears  in  the  best  market. 
They  were  sensible  that  perhaps  no  country  on  earth  was  bet- 
ter suited  to  that  branch  of  industry  ;  that  the  mulberry  is 
indigenous  in  every  part  of  the  province,  and  grows  with  great 
luxuriance,  and  is  among  the  first  trees  to  put  forth  its  foliage 
in  the  spring.  This  recommendation  seems  to  have  been 
totally  neglected,  until  more  lucrative  staples  were  introduced, 
which  now  engross  the  whole  industry  and  capital  of  the 
country.  But  the  time  may  yet  come,  when  the  raising  of 
silk,  a  beautiful  branch  of  industry,  which  in  fact  would  not 
interfere  with  more  heavy  crops,  will  become  extensive,  as  it 
could  not  fail  to  become  lucrative  in  this  country. 

The  first  colonists  made  two  or  three  successive  selections 
of  a  capital  for  their  new  colony,  that  were  injudicious  in  the 
extreme  ;  Dauphine  island  and  the  two  Biloxis,  all  sandy  bar- 
rens. More  than  twenty  years  after  the  establishment,  they 
depended  almost  exclusively  on  France,  Vera  Crux  and  the 
Havana,  for  a  supply  of  provisions,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
richest  soil  in  the  world,  the  people  were  threatened  with 
famine.  It  was  not  until  those  places  were  finally  abandoned, 
after  the  surrender  of  his  charter  by  Crozat,  and  a  change  of 
system  under  the  administration  of  the  Western  Company,  that 
the  great  resources  of  the  country  began  to  develope  them- 
selves ;  numerous  grants  of  land  were  then  made,  and  agricul- 
ture began  to  take  a  start.  On  this  part  of  our  early  history, 
little  need  be  said  at  this  time  ;  but  I  should  be  wanting  to 
myself,  as  well  as  the  occasion,  if  I  failed  to  make  honorable 
mention  of  the  production  of  our  best  historian,  whose  labors 
have  thrown  important  light  upon  every  part  of  our  history, 
without  omitting  many  minute  and  interesting  details  on  this 
part  in  particular.  Historical  literature  is  deeply  indebted  to 
my  learned  and  distinguished  friend  and  colleague,  Judge 
Martin.  His  work,  while  it  evinces  great  labor  and  research, 
proves  at  the  same  time  how  scattered  and  lugitive  are  the 
materials  employed  by  him  in  its  composition,  and  how  diffi- 
cult, if  not  impossible,  it  would  be  for  a  reader  to  satisfy  his 
curiosity  bv  resorting  to  the  original  sources  of  information 
from  which  the  author  drew.  He  appears  to  have  had  access 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  11 

to  manuscripts  which  have  never  been  published,  but  which  it 
is  not,  perhaps,  too  late  to  arrest  from  oblivion. 

It  must  be  confessed,  that  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of 
1756,  France  possessed  on  this  continent  the  basis  of  a  splendid 
empire.  Her  possessions  embraced  on  the  south  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  on  the  north,  that  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
stretching  through  the  heart  of  the  continent,  and  covering  the 
great  central  valley  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  .Northern  Lakes. 
Louisiana,  though  by  far  the  most  important  and  interesting 
portion  of  her  domain,  had  made  but  little  progress,  and  was 
regarded  as  an  appendage  to  Canada.  That  war,  it  is  well 
known,  was  disastrous  to  the  arms  of  France,  and  at  the 
pacification  in  1762,  she  was  stripped  of  all  her  possessions  in 
North  America,  except  that  part  of  the  ancient  province  of 
Louisiana  west  of  the  Mississippi,  together  with  the  island  of 
Orleans.  Simultaneously  with  the  treaty  of  peace,  France 
ceded  to  Spain  the  remnant  of  her  possessions  on  this  conti- 
nent. With  this  treaty  commenced  a  new  era  for  Louisiana. 
Its  ancient  forms  of  administration,  and  its  entire  system  of  laws, 
were  changed.  This  transition  was  attended  by  afflicting  events 
to  the  ancient  population  of  the  province,  attached  as  they  were 
to  the  land  of  their  origin.  Such  was  the  delay  attending  the 
delivery  of  the  province  to  Spain,  that  the  people  began  to 
entertain  a  hope  that  the  transfer  itself  was  a  mere  simulation, 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  Louisiana  to  the  crown  of  France, 
against  the  hazard  of  future  wars.  It  was  not  until  1766,  that 
Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa  was  sent  over  to  receive  possession,  in 
pursuance  of  previous  instructions  given  by  the  king  of 
France  to  D'Abbadie.  There  hangs  over  the  conduct 
of  Don  Antonio,  an  extraordinary  mystery ;  although  he 
remained  two  years  in  the  province  at  the  head  of  a  military 
force,  he  appears  never  to  have  taken  formal  possession  of  the 
country,  and  was  finally  compelled  to  withdraw,  on  his  refusal 
to  furnish  the  council  his  powers  and  instructions  from  the 
king  of  Spain.  I  am  not  aware  that  his  report  to  his  govern- 
ment has  ever  been  made  public.  We  are,  however,  fully 
warranted  in  believing  that  such  a  report  was  made,  and  that 
it  formed  the  motive  or  the  pretext  for  the  sanguinary  orders 
subsequently  given  to  his  successor,  and  led  to  the  fatal  cata- 


12  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

strophe  which  ensued.  If  such  a  document  exists,  as  we  have 
every  reason  to  suppose,  a  copy  might  be  procured  from 
Spain,  and  would  throw  great  light  on  an  obscure  and  in- 
teresting crisis  in  our  annals.  The  bloody  tragedy  which  fol- 
lowed on  the  arrival  of  Don  Alexandro  O'Reilly  next  year,  the 
total  abolition  of  the  council,  and  the  introduction  of  the  laws 
of  Spain,  as  over  a  conquered  people,  are  well  known.  Until 
recently,  however,  the  extent  of  O'Reilly's  powers  was  a  mat- 
ter of  conjecture ;  and  although  the  courts  have  uniformly  consi- 
dered the  whole  body  of  the  Spanish  law  as  in  force  from  the  date 
of  his  proclamation  and  the  French  jurisprudence  as  abrogated, 
yet  they  were  compelled,  in  a  great  measure,  to  judge  of  the 
extent  of  his  authority  by  his  official  acts.  Within  a  couple 
of  years,  documents  have  come  to  light,  through  the  agency 
of  our  late  Minister  at  Madrid,  which  go  to  prove,  not  only 
his  original  powers,  but  the  approbation  of  the  court  of  Spain 
of  all  his  proceedings.  Among  other  documents  thus  pro- 
cured, is  a  copy  of  a  royal  order  of  the  28th  of  January,  1771, 
in  which  the  king  declares  that  he  had  in  1705  appointed  Don 
Antonio  dc  Ulloa  to  proceed  to  the  province  of  Louisiana,  and 
to  take  possession  as  governor,  making,  however,  no  innova- 
tion in  its  system  of  government,  which  was  to  be  entirely  in- 
dependent of  the  laws  and  usages  observed  in  his  American 
dominions,  but  considering  it  as  a  distinct  colony,  having  even 
no  commerce  with  his  said  dominions,  and  to  remain  under 
the  control  of  its  own  administration,  council,  and  other  tribu- 
nals. But  he  goes  on  to  say,  the  inhabitants  having  rebelled 
in  October,  17(58.  he  had  commissioned  Don  Alexandro 
O'Reilly  to  proceed  thither,  and  take  formal  possession,  chas- 
tise the  ringleaders,  and  to  annex  that  province  to  the  rest  of 
his  dominions.  That  his  orders  had  been  obeyed,  the  council 
abolished,  and  a  cabildo  established  in  its  place,  and  the 
Spanish  laws  adopted.  lie  proceeds  to  ratify  and  confirm  all 
that  had  been  done,  and  directs  that  Louisiana  shall  be  united, 
as  to  its  spiritual  concerns,  to  the  Bishopric  of  the  Havana, 
and  governed  conformably  to  the  laws  of  the  Indies.  It  was 
made  a  dependency  of  the  Captain-generalship  and  royal 
Hacienda  of  the  island  of  Cuba,  and  as  relates  to  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice,  a  special  tribunal  was  created,  consisting  of 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  13 

the  Captain-general  as  president,  the  auditors  of  war  and  ma- 
rine, the  attorney  of  the  Hacienda,  and  the  notary  of  the  gov- 
ernment. To  this  tribunal  appeals  were  to  go,  and  from  it  to 
the  council  at  Seville,  without  resorting  to  the  audiencia  of  St. 
Domingo. 

O'Reilly  appears  to  have  made  a  detailed  report  of  his  pro- 
ceedings, consisting  of  six  distinct  statements.  These  state- 
ments have  never,  probably,  been  made  public  in  extenso,  but 
another  document,  procured  at  the  same  time  at  Madrid,  con- 
tains a  minute  analysis  of  them.  I  allude  to  a  report  made  to 
the  king  by  the  Council  and  Chamber  of  the  Indies,  to  whom 
the  whole  matters  had  been  referred.  It  is  filled  with  the  most 
extravagant  encomiums  upon  O'Reilly.  The  profoundness  of 
his  comprehension,  the  sublimity  of  his  spirit,  the  correctness 
of  his  judgment,  the  admirable  energy  displayed  in  his  provi- 
sions for  the  civil,  economical,  and  political  government,  his 
delicate  knowledge  and  acute  discernment  of  the  laws  of  both 
kingdoms,  as  well  as  of  the  practical  and  forensic  styles  of  the 
courts, — all  these  are  set  forth  in  the  most  pompous  and  sono- 
rous phraseology  of  choice  Castilian.  By  way  of  finish  to  this 
picture,  and  in  the  spirit  of  the  most  sublime  bathos,  the  coun- 
cil adds,  "  that  by  the  admirable  arrangement  of  pay  and 
distribution  which  he  has  proposed  in  the  military  and  political 
classes,  the  treasury  has  gained  (how  much  do  you  suppose, 
gentlemen?)  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars  !  which  advantage 
is  due  to  the  comprehensive  and  indefatigable  genius  of  the 
commissioner  !"  Miserable,  cold-blooded,  heartless  calcula- 
tors !  at  that  very  moment  O'Reilly  was  the  object  of  the  just 
execration  of  the  whole  population  of  Louisiana.  They  had 
seen  some  of  their  best  citizens,  the  elite  of  the  country,  im- 
mured in  the  dungeons  of  the  Moro  Castle,  others  shot  do\vn 
without  mercy,  without  necessity,  without  a  crime,  unless  it 
was  a  crime  to  love  the  land  of  their  birth,  the  land  in  whose 
bosom  repose  the  bones  of  their  ancestors, — all  entrapped  at  a 
moment  of  profound  security  and  submission,  under  circum- 
stances of  the  most  infamous  treachery  and  duplicity,  and 
mocked  with  the  forms  of  a  trial,  under  a  statute  written  in  a 
foreign  language,  and  never  promulgated  in  the  province. 


14  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

Docs  no  one  yet  survive,  in  this  whole  generation — no  one  yet 
lingering  on  the  stage — who  was  an  eye-witness  of  those 
transactions,  from  whom  we  could  hope  to  obtain  a  vivid  pic- 
ture of  the  grief,  consternation,  and  despair,  which  smote  the 
heart  of  the  country,  while  the  place  d'armes  of  New  Orleans 
was  reeking  with  its  best  blood,  that  we  might  hold  it  up  to  the 
most  remote  posterity,  as  a  comment  on  the  specious  bombast 
of  the  Council  of  Seville? 

The  commercial  regulations  proposed  by  O'Reilly,  and 
which  form  the  subject  of  his  first  statement,  were  undoubt- 
edly liberal,  and  calculated  to  advance  the  prosperity  of  the 
province.  They  contemplated  a  wide  departure  from  the 
rigorous  monopoly  with  which  the  commerce  of  the  Spanish 
colonies  had  been  shackled:  a  free  trade  between  Havana  and 
Spain,  the  productions  of  Louisiana  to  pay  no  duties  when 
imported  into  that  port,  and  no  duty  to  be  levied  on  exports 
from  Havana  to  Louisiana  ;  the  admission  of  all  Louisiana 
vessels  into  all  the  ports  of  Spain  as  well  as  the  Havana,  pro- 
vided that  none  but  Spanish  or  Louisiana  bottoms  should  be 
employed  in  that  trade.  This  system  met  the  entire  approba- 
tion of  the  council,  except  that  the  exemption  from  the  payment 
of  duties  should  be  considered  only  as  temporary. 

The  second  statement  relates  to  the  propriety  of  subjecting 
Louisiana  to  the  same  system  of  laws  which  prevailed  in  the 
other  Spanish  colonies,  of  carrying  on  legal  proceedings  in 
Spanish,  the  establishment  of  the  New  Appellate  Tribunal,  of 
which  I  have  already  spoken,  with  a  direct  appeal  from  it  to 
the  council.  These  arrangements  were  sanctioned  by  the 
council,  with  this  proviso:  that  the  Intendants  of  Hacienda 
and  Marine  should  have  a  voice  and  vote  in  the  proposed  tri- 
bunal. 

The  third  and  fourth  statements  relate  to  the  organization  of 
the  Cabildo,  and  the  appointment  of  Don  Louis  de  Un/aga  as 
civil  and  military  governor  ot  the  province. 

The  fifth  details  the  new  ecclesiastical  and  economical  ar- 
rangements. 

The  sixth  and  last  statement  of  O'Reilly  informs  the  king 
that  he  had  appointed  a  lieutenant  governor  for  the  district  of 
Illinois  and  Natchitochcs,  encloses  copies  of  his  instructions, 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  15 

and  proposes  that  the  governor  alone  should  have  the  power 
to  grant  lands,  and  that  concessions  should  be  made  according 
to  certain  regulations  which  he  had  adopted  on  the  advice  of 
well-informed  persons.  This  is  the  well-known  ordinance  of 
1770,  of  which  I  may  have  occasion  to  speak  hereafter. 

It  cannot  be  denied,  that  in  many  respects  the  new  govern- 
ment was  liberal,  and  even  paternal.  Lands  were  distributed 
gratuitously  to  meet  the  wants  of  an  increasing  population,  and 
direct  taxation  was  unknown  in  the  province.  If  the  ratio  of 
increase  of  the  population  be  an  index  of  its  prosperity,  Loui- 
siana was  certainly  flourishing  and  prosperous.  In  sixteen 
years  from  the  year  17G9,  the  population  was  more  than  dou- 
bled by  the  ordinary  means,  independently  of  small  colonies 
from  Malaga  and  the  Canary  Islands.  In  1711  it  amounted 
only  to  four  hundred,  including  twenty  slaves.  During  thirty- 
four  years  of  Spanish  domination  in  this  country,  its  resources 
were  considerably  developed,  and  Louisiana  has  been  regard- 
ed, perhaps  with  justice,  as  the  favored  pet  of  Spain. 

Gentlemen,  it  does  not  enter  into  my  plan  to  go  into  any 
historical  details  relating  to  the  different  periods  of  our  histo- 
ry :  but  my  object  is  simply  to  call  your  attention  to  them,  as 
worthy  of  minute  investigation  in  the  progress  of  our  research- 
es. Much  interesting  matter  might  yet  be  brought  to  light, 
illustrative  of  the  characters  of  many  distinguished  persons 
who  figured,  and  some  of  whom  suffered,  in  the  crisis  I  have 
already  alluded  to.  What  has  become  of  the  memorials  and 
correspondence  of  Mihlet,  who  wras  despatched  by  the  Loui- 
sianians  to  France,  to  entreat  the  king  not  to  compel  his  loyal 
subjects  to  pass  under  the  yoke  of  Spain  ?  Who,  that  lias 
read  our  earlier  history,  does  not  desire  a  more  intimate  ac- 
quaintance with  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  with  the  enter- 
prising men  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the  colony,  and  to 
investigate  more  minutely  its  gradual  development? 

II.  I  proceed  to  make  a  few  remarks  upon  the  second  head 
of  our  proposed  inquiries,  to  wit :  the  progress  of  our  juris- 
prudence. The  most  important  part  of  the  history  of  a  state 
is  that  of  its  legislation.  Upon  that  depends  its  prosperity,  and 
the  character  and  pursuits  of  the  people.  It  is  not  a  little  re- 
markable, that  although  successively  an  appendage  of  the 


16  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

monarchies  of  France  and  Spain,  Louisiana  never  knew  any- 
thing like  a  right  of  primogeniture  and  a  privileged  class.  No 
part  of  feudality  was  ever  known  here,  neither  inequality 
in  the  distribution  of  estates,  nor  fiefs,  nor  signories,  nor  may- 
ora/gos.  The  grants  of  land  were  all  allodial,  and  under  no 
other  condition  than  that  of  cultivation  and  improvement 
within  limited  periods  ;  in  fact,  essentially  in  fee  simple.  The 
colonists  brought  with  them,  as  the  basis  of  their  municipal 
law,  the  custom  of  Paris.  By  the  charter  in  favor  of  Croxat, 
the  laws,  edicts,  and  ordinances  of  the  realm  and  the  custom 
of  Paris,  arc  expressly  extended  to  Louisiana.  To  this  cus- 
tom, which  we  all  know  was  a  body  of  written  law,  may  be 
traced  the  origin  of  many  of  the  peculiar  institutions  which 
still  distinguish  our  jurisprudence  from  that  of  all  the  other 
states  of  the  Union.  I  allude  especially  to  the  matrimonial 
community  of  gains,  the  rigid  restrictions  on  the  disinheritance 
of  children,  and  the  reserved  portion  in  favor  of  forced  heirs, 
the  severe  restraints  upon  widows  and  widowers,  in  relation 
to  donations  in  favor  of  second  husbands  and  wives,  by  the 
Edit  des  Secondes  j\~oces  ;  the  inalienability  of  dower,  and  the 
strict  guards  by  which  the  paraphernal  rights  of  the  wife  are 
secured  against  the  extravagance  of  spendthrift  husbands. 
The  community  of  acquests  and  gains  between  husband  and 
wife  is  altogether  a  creature  of  customary  law,  unknown  to 
the  jurisprudence  of  Rome,  and  even  in  those  provinces  of 
France  formerly  governed  by  the  written  law.  It  is  said  to 
be  of  German  or  Saxon  origin,  and  during  the  regime  of  the 
first  two  races  of  the  kings  of  France,  the  share  of  the  wife 
was  one-third,  instead  of  one-half,  of  the  property  acquired 
during  marriage,  as  regulated  by  the  existing  code.  The  in- 
troduction of  the  Spanish  law,  in  1709,  produced  but  slight 
changes  on  most  of  these  points.  The  general  rules  of  de- 
scent, as  regulated  by  the  law  of  Spain,  did  not  vary  materi- 
ally from  those  of  the  custom  of  Paris  ;  a  perfect  equality 
among  heirs  was  the  essential  characteristic  of  both  codes. 
The  points  of  discrepancy  will  form  a  curious  subject  of  inves- 
tigation to  any  one  desirous  of  pursuing  the  inquiry.  The 
existing  code  of  this  state  has  maintained  to  a  certain  extent 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  17 

those  peculiarities,  and  they  have  become  deeply  rooted  in  the 
public  mind. 

O'Reilly,  when  he  introduced  by  proclamation  the  whole 
body  of  the  Spanish  law,  published  a  Manual  of  Practice. 
How  far  the  practice  was  changed  in  substance,  by  that  regu- 
lation, from  what  existed  before,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say.  It 
is  to  be  presumed,  from  the  character  of  those  who  had  been 
previously  engaged  in  the  administration  of  the  laws,  that  the 
practice  was  very  simple,  and  perhaps  rude,  and  the  records 
of  judicial  proceedings  at  these  early  periods  are  extremely 
meager.  The  order  of  the  Commandant,  after  hearing  the 
stories  of  both  parties,  was  the  decree  to  which  all  submitted. 

Until  the  cession  of  the  country  to  the  United  States,  the 
writ  of  habeas  corpus  and  the  trial  by  jury  were  of  course 
unknown  here.  Of  the  first,  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  with- 
out it  there  can  be  no  genuine  personal  security.  What- 
ever we  may  think  of  the  trial  by  jury,  as  a  test  of  right 
or  lawr,  as  a  tribunal  to  decide  upon  the  disputed  rights  of 
the  citizens  in  civil  cases,  there  is  one  point  of  view  in  which 
it  may  be  regarded  as  above  all  price,  namely,  as  the  means 
by  which  the  citizens  become  insensibly  instructed  in  the  great 
leading  principles  of  the  laws,  and  the  foundation  and  extent 
of  their  rights.  It  is  the  best  school  of  the  citizen.  The 
people  assemble  at  stated  periods  to  attend  the  sessions  of 
the  courts ;  the  discussions  are  public  ;  the  neighbors  of  the 
parties  are  called  on  to  act  as  jurors  ;  they  hear  the  laws  com- 
mented on  by  'counsel ;  they  receive  the  instructions  of  the 
court,  and  retire  to  deliberate  on  their  verdict.  Each  juror 
feels  the  responsibility  under  which  he  acts.  Thus,  the  citi- 
zens, in  rotation,  are  called  on  to  perform  highly  important 
functions  in  the  administration  of  the  laws,  and  after  serving  a 
few  terms,  cannot  fail  to  become  pretty  well  acquainted  with 
the  great  leading  principles  of  the  laws  of  their  country,  and 
more  vigilant  in  maintaining  their  own  rights.  My  own  opi- 
nion is,  that  the  trial  by  jury  in  the  interior  of  this  state  has 
done  more  to  enlighten  the  people,  than  all  the  means  of  edu- 
cation which  have  been  provided  by  the  munificence  of  the 
legislature.  Many  men  who  can  neither  read  nor  write,  are 
yet  capable  of  deciding  as  jurymen,  a  question  of  disputed 

3 


18  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

right  between  two  of  their  fellow  citizens,  with  admirable  dis- 
crimination. I  think  I  can  perceive,  in  this  respect,  a  singular 
improvement  in  the  general  intelligence  of  the  people  since  1 
came  to  reside  here  twenty-two  years  ago.  especially  among 
that  class  of  our  population  to  whom  the  trial  by  jury  and  the 
publicity  of  judicial  proceedings  \verc  novelties.  A  friend  of 
mine  used  to  relate  an  anecdote,  which  illustrates  this  position. 
Two  honest  Creoles  were  disputing  about  a  point  of  law  ;  said 
one  of  them,  "  How,  do  you  think  I  don't  know,  sir  ?  I  am  a 
justice  of  the  peace  !"  "  And  I,"  said  the  other,  "  I  ought  to 
know  something  about  it,  I  have  been  twice  foreman  of  the 
grand  jury." 

If  I  were  to  dwell  longer  upon  the  subject  of  our  jurispru- 
dence, this  address  would  swell  into  a  dissertation.  Permit 
me  to  recommend  this  subject  to  your  attention,  and  particu- 
larly an  inquiry  into  the  practical  operation  of  the  laws  above 
referred  to,  which  regulate  the  great  relations  of  social  and 
domestic  life.  Whether  an  equal  participation  of  the  wife  in 
the  property  acquired  during  marriage — a  right  growing  ori- 
ginally out  of  the  presumed  collaboration  of  the  parties  in  a 
rude  primitive  state  of  society — ought  still  to  exist  in  the  present 
age  of  refinement  and  extravagance.  Whether  such  a  sys- 
tem be  not  productive  of  more  frauds  and  injustice  to  credit- 
ors, and  disruption  of  families  and  litigation,  than  of  public 
good  and  domestic  tranquillity,  are  questions  more  proper  for 
discussion  in  the  halls  of  legislation  than  here  :  they  belong 
rather  to  the  legislator  than  the  historian. 

III.  I   should   hardly  be  pardoned,  if  I  dwelt  long  on  the 
next   subject  embraced  in  our  plan,  the  state  of  religion.     I 
will  confine  myself  to  a  single  remark.     Fortunately  Louisiana 
was   ceded   to  Spain  after  the  Inquisition   had,  even  in  that 
country  of  bigotry,  been  disarmed  of  most  of  its  terrors  :  and 
although  in  this  country  the  Catholic  religion  was  the  only  one 
openly  tolerated,  yet  an  attempt  to  introduce  that  most  infa- 
mous ol  all   human  institutions  was  indignantly  put  down  by 
the  people  and  the  local  authorities. 

IV.  The  condition  of  the  Indian  tribes  comes  next.     The 
Indians !  the  Indians  !  whether  subjects  of  history  or  heroes  of 
romance,  or  mixed  up  in  the  miserable  ephemeral  dramatic 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  19 

trash  of  the  day,  always  exaggerated,  disfigured,  caricatured. 
They  have  been  represented  by  some  as  brave,  high-minded, 
and  capable  of  sustaining  extraordinary  privations  ;  sometimes 
as  cold,  stern,  taciturn  ;  sometimes  as  gay.  lively,  frolicksome, 
full  of  badinage,  and  excessively  given  to  gambling ;  some- 
times as  cruel,  and  even  man-eaters,  delighting  in  the  infliction 
of  the  most  horrible  tortures.  Some  will  tell  you  that  they 
have  no  religious  notions,  no  conception  of  a  great  first  cause  ; 
others,  that  they  have  a  simple  natural  religion  ;  or  as  the  poet 
has  it : 

"  His  untutored  mind, 

Sees  God  in  clouds,  and  hears  him  in  the  wind  ; 
His  soul,  proud  science  never  taught  to  stray, 
Far  as  the  solar  walk  or  milky  way. 
Yet  simple  Nature  to  his  hope  has  given, 
Behind  the  cloud-topped  hill,  an  humbler  heaven, 
Some  safer  world,  in  depth  of  woods  embraced, 
Some  happier  island  in  the  watery  waste. 
To  be  content,  his  natural  desire, 
He  asks  no  angel's  wings,  no  seraph's  fire, 
But  thinks,  admitted  to  that  equal  sky, 
His  faithful  dog  shall  bear  him  company." 

Some  of  the  earlier  historians  represent  the  Xatchez  as 
worshippers  of  the  sun,  or  worshippers  of  fire  ;  as  having  a 
temple  dedicated  to  the  sun,  keeping  up  a  perpetual,  a  vestal 
fire.  They  conclude,  of  course,  that  those  Indians  must  have 
been  allied  at  least  to  the  Peruvians  or  Mexicans,  if  not  de- 
scended from  the  fire-worshippers  of  the  East.  The  truth 
probably  was,  that  in  some  miserable  cabin  or  wigwam,  a  few 
chunks  were  kept  burning,  as  is  the  case  in  every  Indian  en- 
campment, and  indeed  in  every  well  regulated  kitchen.  The 
fact  is,  that  neither  the  pen  of  Cooper,  nor  the  more  eloquent 
and  fascinating  style  of  Chateaubriand,  can  inspire  the  slight- 
est interest  for  their  Indian  heroes  and  heroines,  in  the  mind  of 
a  man  who  has  been  much  among  the  aborigines,  and  knows 
something  of  their  real  character  and  habits.  With  respect 
to  those  nations  which  yet  exist,  we  are  able  to  see  for  our- 
selves, and  correct  the  false  impressions  which  earlier  writers 
may  have  produced.  It  is  melancholy  to  look  over  the  list  of 


20  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    BEFORE    THE 

tribes,  which  were  once  scattered  over  the  surface  of  lower 
Louisiana  at  early  periods  of  the  colony.  How  many  of  them 
are  totally  extinct  !  How  many  dwindled  down  to  a  mere 
shadow,  and  their  feeble  remnant  confounded  with  some  neigh- 
boring tribe  !  The  Attakapas,  the  Carancuas,  the  Opelousas, 
the  Adayes,  the  Natchitoches,  the  Natchez,  where  are  they, 
and  what  monuments  have  they  left  us,  by  which  any  trace  of 
their  origin  or  their  history  may  be  known  ?  Of  the  Natchi- 
toches, only  a  single  individual  exists,  and  he  has  been  adopted 
by  the  Cados.  Who  knows  anything  of  the  language  of  those 
nations?  Their  language,  certainly  among  the  most  curious 
of  the  remnants  of  erratic  tribes,  and  by  which  an  acute  phi- 
lology might  perhaps  trace  some  affinities  with  other  existing 
people,  is  known  only  to  a  few  ;  and  they  are  not  of  that  class 
from  whom  the  republic  of  letters  might  expect  some  account 
of  it.  The  powerful  tribe  of  the  Natchez  is  totally  extinct ; 
its  last  miserable  remnant  took  refuge  among  the  Chickasaws. 
There  remain  a  few  degenerate  (if  such  beings  can  degene- 
rate) descendants  of  the  Tunicas,  Chitcmachas,  Pacagoulas, 
Apalachcs  and  Bcloxis. 

Neither  the  French  nor  the  Spanish  governments  recog- 
nized in  the  Indians  any  primitive  title  to  the  land  over  which 
they  hunted,  nor  even  to  the  spot  on  which  their  permanent 
dwellings  were  fixed.  They  were  often  grantees  of  lands  for 
very  limited  extents,  not  exceeding  a  league  square,  covering 
their  village.  They  were  sometimes  permitted  to  sell  out.  their 
ancient  possessions,  and  had  a  new  locality  assigned  them. 
Many  titles  of  that  kind  exist  at  the  present  time,  and  have 
been  subjects  of  judicial  decision.  But  the  policy  of  extin- 
guishing the  primitive  Indian  title,  as  it  is  called,  by  purchase. 
which  prevailed  universally  among  the  English  colonists,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  wholly  unknown  to  the  French  and  Span- 
iards in  Louisiana.  The  massacre  of  the  French  at  Natchez, 
which  led  to  the  extermination  of  that  tribe,  was  provoked  by 
the  atrocious  attempt,  by  the  commandant,  to  destroy  their 
village  at  St.  Catherine's,  in  order  to  annex  the  land  to  his  own 
plantation. 

There  are  many  indications  here,  as  well  as  in  upper  Loui- 
siana and  Ohio,  ot  a  race  of  men.  long  since  extinct,  who  had 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  21 

probably  made  considerable  advances  in  some  of  the  useful 
arts,  and  perhaps  the  art  of  defence.  In  Sicily  Island,  in  the 
parish  of  Catahoula,  there  is  a  curious  circle  of  mounds,  regu- 
larly disposed,  embracing  a  large  area  of  alluvial  soil,  but  little 
elevated  above  high  watermark.  I  believe  the  dwelling  house 
of  the  present  proprietor,  Mr.  Matthews,  is  built  upon  one  of 
them.  There  arc  others  equally  curious  on  Black  River;  and 
near  the  village  of  Harrisonburg  may  yet  be  traced  an  exten- 
sive elevation  of  earth  strongly  resembling  breast-works.  The 
enemy  against  which  these  works  were  thrown  up,  was  proba- 
bly the  Mississippi,  whose  waters  once  flooded  the  whole  of 
that  region  at  certain  stages.  The  study  of  Indian  mounds 
has  heretofore  led  to  no  important  discovery  upon  which  much 
reliance  can  be  placed.  It  is  worse  than  idle  to  indulge  in 
conjectures  upon  the  origin  of  these  monuments.  A  few 
skulls,  picked  up  here  and  there,  may  indicate,  perhaps,  to  the 
professed  phrenologist,  the  former  existence  of  a  race  more 
civilized  than  the  present  Indians,  more  capable  of  combina- 
tion, having  the  organ  of  constructiveness  more  amply  deve- 
loped ;  but  no  general  conclusions  can  be  safely  drawn  from 
indications  so  feeble  and  equivocal.  It  would  be,  in  rny  opi- 
nion, equally  philosophical  to  conclude  with  the  poet, 

"  The  earth  has  bubbles  as  the  ocean  has, 
And  these  are  of  them." 

That  there  are,  among  the  existing  race  of  aborigines,  instances 
of  extraordinary  capacity  and  power  of  combination,  a  lew 
individuals,  infinitely  superior  to  the  common  herd,  is  undoubt- 
ed. What  was  the  boasted  Cadmus  of  antiquity,  who  intro- 
duced into  Greece  a  few  letters  of  Egyptian  or  Phenician 
origin,  when  compared  with  that  poor,  crippled  Cherokee,  of 
our  own  day,  who,  by  the  unaided  efforts  of  mind,  by  the  sim- 
ple power  of  induction,  invented  perhaps  the  most  perfect 
alphabet  of  any  existing  language  ? 

Gentlemen  :  in  these  hasty  and  imperfect  glances  over  the 
wide  field  of  our  proposed  inquiries,  I  have  purposely  omitted 
to  touch  upon  the  last,  or  rather  the  present,  era  of  our  his- 
tory, commencing  with  the  annexation  of  Louisiana  to  the 
Federal  Union,  by  far  the  most  brilliant  and  important,  and 


22  DISCOURSE    DELIVERED    HEFOKE    THE 

marked  by  great  and  interesting  events.  In  relation  to 
Louisiana,  this  may  be  properly  designated  as  the  epoch  of 
constitutional,  popular  self  government,  and  of  steam,  as  ap- 
plied to  navigation.  The  documents  which  illustrate  this  part 
of  our  history  are  within  our  reach,  and  ought  to  be 
collected  and  preserved.  Forty  years  ago,  what  was  New 
Orleans — what  was  Louisiana  ?  The  mighty  river  which 
sweeps  by  us  then  rolled  silently  through  an  extended 
wilderness,  receiving  the  tribute  of  its  vassal  streams  from 
the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  one  side,  and  the 
Apaladiian  chain  on  the  other ;  its  broad  and  smooth 
surface  occasionally  ruilled  by  the  dip  of  an  Indian's  paddle, 
or  a  solitary  barge,  slowly  creeping  up  stream  to  the  feeble 
settlements  in  the  interior.  What  are  they  now?  This  city 
lias  become  the  greatest  mart  of  agricultural  products  on  the 
lace  of  the  globe  ;  and  yonder  river  traverses  a  double  range 
of  states,  peopled  by  freemen,  who,  by  the  miracles  of  steam, 
are  brought  almost  in  contact  with  the  great  market  for  the 
productions  of  their  industry.  That  river  is  literally  covered 
with  floating  palaces,  which  visit  its  most  remote  branches ; 
and  along  the  extended  levee  fronting  our  port,  a  dense  forest 
of  masts  exhibits  the  flags  of  every  commercial  nation  in  the 
world.  At  her  annexation  to  the  Union,  the  destiny  of 
Louisiana  became  fixed — admitted  at  once  to  a  participation 
in  the  great  renown  of  the  republic,  connected  with  it  by 
bonds  of  a  common  interest,  she  sprung  forward,  as  it  were 
by  a  single  leap,  from  colonial  dependence,  to  the  glorious 
prerogatives  of  freemen,  and  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  most 
luxuriant  prosperity. 

Gentlemen,  let  us  endeavor  to  make  a  wise  use  of  this  pros- 
perity, and  do  something  for  the  cause  of  letters.  Colleges 
are  springing  up  under  the  generous  patronage  of  the  legisla- 
ture, which  promise  soon  to  be  amply  sufficient  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  rising  generation.  The  Medical  College  of  this 
city,  the  ollspring  of  private  enterprise  and  sustained  by  the 
devotion  of  a  lew  medical  gentlemen  to  the  cause  of  science, 
deserves  public-  encouragement,  and  I  trust  will  receive  it. 
The  Lyceum  of  this  city  promise's  to  unite  utility  with  all  that 
is  agreeable  in  the  public  discussion  of  interesting  topics.  Let 


HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    LOUISIANA.  23 

us  turn  aside,  occasionally  at  least,  from  the  worship  of  mam- 
mon, and  devote  some  of  our  leisure  moments,  stolen  from  mere 
sordid  and  engrossing  pursuits,  to  the  cultivation  of  liberal 
studies.  Who  does  not  sigh,  sometimes,  amidst  the  bustle  and 
struggle  of  active  life,  to  retreat  upon  the  studies  of  his  youth  ; 
to  fly  to  his  early  friends ;  friends  who  never  deceive  him 
and  never  weary ;  to  the  society  of  the  philosophers,  poets, 
historians  of  past  times,  and  to  bask  in  the  mild  radiance  of 
those  great  luminaries  of  the  intellectual  world ;  to  renew 
again  those  studies — which,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  paraphrase 
the  splendid  eulogium  of  the  great  master  of  Roman  eloquence 
— studies  which  form  the  generous  aliment  of  youthful  mind  ; 
the  hoped  for  delight  of  declining  years  ;  the  best  ornament  of 
prosperity ;  in  adversity  our  surest  consolation  and  refuge  ;  in- 
exhaustible source  of  the  purest  pleasure,  whether  at  home  or 
abroad,  whether  engaged  in  the  bustle  of  the  city,  or  enjoying 
the  sober  tranquillity  of  rural  life? 


MEMOIR*  OF 
ROBERT  CAVELIER  DE  LA  SALLE, 

ON  THE  NECESSITY  OF  FITTING  OUT  AN  EXPEDITION  TO  TAKE 
POSSESSION  OF  LOUISIANA. 


THE  principal  result  which  the  SIEUR  DE  LA  SALLE  expected  from  the 
great  perils  and  labors  which  he  underwent  in  the  discovery  of  the 
Mississippi,  was  to  satisfy  the  wish  expressed  to  him  by  the  late 
MONSEIGNEUR  COLBERT,  of  finding  a  port  where  the  French  might 
establish  themselves  and  harass  the  Spaniards  in  those  regions  from 
whence  they  derive  all  their  wealth.  The  place  which  he  proposes 
to  fortify  lies  sixty  leagues  above  the  mouth  of  the  Rivert  Colbert 
(Mississippi),  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  possesses  all  the  advantages 
for  such  a  purpose  which  can  be  wished  for,  both  upon  account  of 
its  excellent  position  and  the  favorable  disposition  of  the  savages  who 
live  in  that  part  of  the  country. 

*  The  memory  of  Robert  Cavelier  de  la  Salle  has  been  treated  with  neglect 
by  his  countrymen.  The  little  that  we  know  of  this  distinguished  man  is  only 
to  be  gathered  from  the  communications  made  by  him  to  his  government ;  from  M. 
Joutel,  the  historian  of  his  last  expedition  to  Louisiana;  and  from  the  very 
excellent  work  of  Mr.  Sparks. 

M.  de  la  Salle  was  born  at  Rouen,  France,  and  was  educated  at  one  of  the 
seminaries  of  the  Jesuits  in  that  country.  At  an  early  age,  he  went  to  Canada, 
to  seek  his  fortune,  and  was  there  patronized  by  M.  Talon,  the  Intendant. 

In  1G75,  he  visited  France,  and  for  his  eminent  services  in  the  exploration 
of  the  Canadian  lakes,  he  was  rewarded  with  a  patent  of  nobility. 

In  1G7S,  he  was  commissioned  to  undertake  the  exploration  of  the  Mississippi, 
in  which  he  very  fortunately  engaged  the  services  of  the  Chevalier  de  Tonty. 
In  the  same  year  he  returned  to  Canada,  and  was  there  joined  by  Father  Hen- 
nepin,  the  explorer  of  the  Upper  Mississippi. 

In  17SO,  he  sent  Father  Hennepin  on  an  expedition  to  the  Sioux,  and  Tonty 
he  placed  in  command  of  Fort  Crevecoeur,  while  he  returned  to  Montreal  to  at- 
tend some  public  affairs.  Having  there  made  his  will,  he,  with  a  party  of 
twenty-three  Frenchmen,  and  twenty-eight  Indians,  returned  to  the  Miamis 
river — crossed  the  Portage  at  Chicago  to  the  Illinois, — and  on  the  Gth  February, 


26  DE  LA  SALLE  ON  THE  NECESSITY  OF 

The  right  of  the  King  to  this  territory  is  the  common  right  of  all 
nations  to  lands  which  they  have  discovered — a  right  which  cannot 
he  disputed  after  the  possession  already  taken  in  the  name  of  his 
Majesty,  hy  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  with  the  consent  of  the  greater 
number  of  its  inhabitants.  A  colony  can  easily  be  founded  there,  as 
the  land  is  very  fertile  and  produces  all  articles  of  life — as  the 
climate  is  very  mild — as  a  port  or  two  would  make  us  masters  of  the 
whole  of  this  continent — as  the  posts  there  are  good,  secure,  and 

1CS2,  reached  the  Mississippi  river  to  explore  it  to  its  mouth,  and  to  take  for- 
mal possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  his  Sovereign.  This  he  accom- 
plished on  the  9th  of  April,  1052  ;  a  minute  account  of  which  is  now  pub- 
lished in  this  volume.  In  consequence  of  some  sickness,  he  did  not  reach 
Quebec  until  the  following  October  ;  from  which  port  he  afterwards  sailed  for 
France. 

The  Great  Colbert  was  now  no  more,  but  his  son  Seignclay  was  Minister  of 
Marine.  To  him  he  delivered  the  two  memoirs  published  in  this  volume.  In 
the  first,  he  urges  an  expedition  by  sea  to  the  Mississippi,  with  a  memorandum 
of  the  equipment  and  supplies  requisite  to  undertake  it.  In  the  second,  he 
gives  a  very  full  account  of  the  country  south  of  the  Mississippi,  in  which  he 
confirms  the  statement  of  Father  Hennepin,  which  has  often  been  questioned, 
of  his  desire  to  seize  the  mines  of  St.  Barbe,  while  at  the  same  time  he  alludes 
to  the  possibility  of  opening  a  passage  to  the  South  Sea.  The  King  acceded 
to  the  proposition  of  M.  la  Salle,  and  he  was  duly  authorized  to  build  forts  and 
plant  colonies  in  Louisiana. 

He  accordingly  iitted  out  an  expedition  of  four  ships,  and  two  hundred  and 
eighty  persons,  among  whom  were  included  Father  Zenobe  and  M.  Joutel,  the 
future  historian  of  the  expedition,  and  set  sail  from  Rochelle  on  the  21th  July, 
It')5  1.  After  a  prosperous  voyage,  he  reached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  in  December 
following,  but  missing  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  he  was  compelled  to  eilect 
a  landing  in  the  bay  of  St.  Bernard,  where  he  built  a  fort.  He  made  several 
efforts  to  find  the  Mississippi,  and  during  his  last  expedition  he  was  assassi- 
nated by  one  of  his  countrymen.  Thus  ingloriously  perished  the  man  who  has 
been  styled  the  Father  of  French  Colonization  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

In  some  of  the  liiirher  attributes  of  character,  says  M.  Sparks,  "  such  as  per- 
sonal courage  and  endurance,  undaunted  resolution,  patience  under  trials,  and 
perseverance  in  contending  with  obstacles,  and  struggling  through  embarrass- 
ments that  might  appal  the  stoutest  heart,  no  man  surpassed  the  Sititr  de  la 
Salle. 

"  Not  a  hint  appears  in  any  writer,  that  has  come  under  our  notice,  which 
casts  a  shade  upon  his  integrity  or  honor.  Cool  and  intrepid  at  all  times, 
never  yielding  for  a  moment  to  despair,  or  even  to  despondency,  he  bore  the 
heavy  burden  of  hi*  calamities  to  the  end,  and  his  hopes  expired  only  with  his 
last  breath.  To  him  must  be  mainly  ascribed  the  discovery  of  the  vast  regions 
o!'  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  the  subsequent  occupation  and  settlement  of 
them  !>y  the  French  :  and  his  name  justly  holds  a  prominent  place  among  those 
which  adorn  the  historv  of  Civilisation  in  the  new  world." 


TAKING    POSSESSION    OF   LOUISIANA.  27 

afford  the  means  of  attacking  an  enemy  or  of  retreating  in  case  of 
necessity — and  also  since  all  things  are  found  there  requisite  for  re- 
fitting. Its  distance  inland  will  prevent  foreigners  from  sending  1 
fleets  to  attack  it,  since  they  would  be  exposed  to  destruction  by  fire  1 
which  they  could  only  avoid  with  difficulty  in  a  narrow  river,  for  if 
fireships  were  sent  down  they  would  not  fail  to  fall  aboard  them 
under  the  favor  of  night  and  of  the  current.  The  coast  and  the  banks 
being  overflowed  for  more  than  twenty  leagues  above  the  mouth, 
make  it  inaccessible  by  land ;  and  the  friendship  of  the  savages 
towards  the  French,  and  the  hatred  which  they  bear  towards  the 
Spaniards,  will  serve  also  as  a  strong  barrier. 

These  Indians,  irritated  by  the  tyranny  of  the  Spaniards,  carry  on 
a  cruel  war  against  them,  without  even  the  aid  of  fire-arms,  which 
they  have  not  yet  had.  On  the  other  hand,  they  have  been  so  con- 
ciliated by  the  gentleness  of  the  Sieur  la  Salle,  that  they  have  made 
peace  with  him  and  offered  to  accompany  him  anywhere,  and  he  has 
no  doubt  that  they  would  favor  his  enterprise  as  much  as  they  would 
oppose  themselves  to  those  of  the  enemies  of  France.  This,  any 
person  may  judge  of  by  the  offerings  which  were  made  at  the  posts 
on  which  the  arms  of  France  were  attached,  and  by  the  assembly  of 
more  than  18,000  Indians  of  various  nations,  some  of  whom  had  come 
from  a  distance  of  more  than  2000  leagues,  who  met  together  in  a  single 
camp  (village) — and  who,  forgetting  their  own  old  disputes,  threw  them- 
selves into  his  arms  and  made  him  master  of  their  different  interests 
— and  also  from  the  deputations  sent  to  him  by  the  Cicaqas  and  the 
Kansas,  and  other  nations,  offering  to  follow  wherever  he  might  be 
pleased  to  lead  them.  By  the  union  of  these  forces  it  would  be 
possible  to  form  an  army  of  more  than  15,000  savages,  who,  finding 
themselves  supported  by  the  French  and  by  the  Abenaki  followers 
of  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  with  the  aid  of  the  arms  which  he  has  given 
them,  would  not  find  any  resistance  in  the  province  which  he  intends 
to  attack,  where  there  are  not  more  than  400  native  Spaniards,  in  a 
country  more  than  150  leagues  in  length  and  fifty  in  breadth,  all  of 

•-  O  O  v 

whom  are  officers  or  artisans  better  able  to  explore  the  mines  than 
to  oppose  themselves  vigorously  to  an  expedition  which  would  more- 
over be  favored  by  Mulattoes,  Indians,  and  by  Negroes  if  their  liberty 
were  promised  to  them. 

Upon  account  of  these  considerations  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  pro- 
poses, with  the  approbation  of  Monseigneur,  to  undertake  this 
enterprise,  and  if  peace  should  prevent  the  execution  of  it,  he  offers 
to  establish  a  very  advantageous  station  for  commercial  purposes, 


28  DE    LA    SALLE    ON    THE    NECESSITY    OF 

very  easy  to  be  maintained,  and  from  whence,  at  the  commencement 
of  hostilities,  it  would  be  possible  to  take  from  the  Spaniards  a  good 
part  of  their  mines. 

New  Biscay  is  the  most  northern  province  of  Mexico,  and  is 
situated  between  25°  and  27°  30/  of  north  latitude.  It  is  bounded 
to  the  north  by  vast  forests  frequented  by  the  people  called  Terliqui- 
quirneki,  whom  the  Spanish  only  know  by  the  name  of  "  Indios 
Bravos  y  dc  gitcrra,"  never  having  been  able  to  subdue  them,  or  to 
compel  them  to  live  in  peace.  From  this  province  they  extend 
themselves  as  far  as  the  River  Seignelai,  which  is  distant  from  it  in 
some  parts  40  and  in  some  50  leagues.  On  the  east  it  is  bounded 
by  the  same  forest,  by  the  River  Panuco,  from  which  it  is  separated 
by  a  chain  of  mountains,  which  also  form  its  limits  to  the  south, 
from  the  province  of  Zacatecas  to  the  west,  from  that  of  Culiacan  to 
the  north-west,  where  it  separates  the  latter  province  from  the  new 
kingdom  of  Leon,  not  leaving  more  than  two  or  three  passages  by 
which  succors  could  be  expected. 

The  distance  from  Mexico,  which  is  more  than  150  leagues, 
increases  these  difficulties,  without  speaking  of  the  necessity  which 
the  viceroys  would  have  of  dividing  their  forces  in  order  to  defend 
the  maritime  districts,  and  the  small  number  of  native  Spaniards  to 
be  met  with  in  this  vast  extent  of  country,  from  whence  no  succors 
are  to  be  obtained  but  with  great  loss  of  time  and  trouble — the 
height,  also,  of  the  mountains  which  they  must  pass  for  this  purpose 
are  too  rough  for  a  people,  enervated  by  long  inactivity,  to  be  able 
to  surmount  without  great  means  of  conveyance  and  train.  Even  if 
succors  could  arrive  more  quickly  than  is  presumed,  the  proximity 
of  the  woods  and  of  the  river  would  aid  as  much  to  secure  a  retreat 
and  preserve  any  booty,  as  it  is  favorable  to  an  irruption  of  which 
the  enemy  would  have  no  information  before  we  should  be  in  the 
middle  of  his  territory. 

As  they  do  not  think  themselves  to  be  in  danger  of  being  attacked, 
except  by  savages,  they  have  no  one  place  capable  of  sustaining  an 
attack,  though  the  country  is  very  rich  in  silver  mines,  more  than 
thirty  having  been  already  discovered.  These  would  be  much  more 
profitable  to  the  French  on  account  of  the  proximity  of  the  river, 
which  would  serve  for  the  transport  of  the  metals  •  whereas  the 
Spaniards,  from  ignorance,  from  fear  of  the  savages,  and  on  account 
of  the  personal  interest  of  the  viceroys,  transport  the  silver  at  a 
groat,  expense,  as  needless  to  us  as  it  is  to  them  inevitable,  at  so  great 
a  distance. 


TAKING    POSSESSION    OF    LOUISIANA.  29 

Assuming,  then,  these  facts,  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  offers,  if  the  war 
continues,  to  leave  France  with  200  men ;  fifty  more  will  join  him 
who  are  in  the  country,  and  fifty  buccaneers  (Jlihistiers)  can  be 
taken  in  passing  St.  Domingo.  The  savages  who  are  at  Fort  St. 
Louis,  to  the  number  of  more  than  4,000  warriors,  together  with 
many  others  who  will  join,  can  be  directed  to  descend  the  river. 
This  army  he  will  divide  into  three  divisions,  to  maintain  it  more 
easily.  In  order  to  compel  the  Spaniards  to  divide  their  forces,  two 
of  these  divisions  shall  each  be  composed  of  fifty  French,  fifty  Abe- 
nakis,  and  two  hundred  savages.  They  will  receive  orders  to  attack 
at  the  same  time  the  two  extremities  of  the  province,  and  on  the  same 
day  the  centre  of  the  country  will  be  entered  with  the  other  division, 
and  it  is  certain  that  we  shall  be  seconded  by  all  the  unhappy  in  the 
country  who  groan  in  slavery.  The  English  colony  of  Boston, 
although  it  is  more  powerful  than  all  those  of  Spain,  has  been  deso- 
lated by  600  savages.  Chili  has  been  ruined  by  the  Araucanians, 
and  the  evil  which  the  Iroquois,  although  without  discipline  or 
generalship,  have  done  in  Canada,  are  instances  from  which  we  may 
infer  how  disastrous  is  this  mode  of  warfare  to  those  who  are  not 
experienced  in  it,  and  also  what  may  be  expected  from  the  aid  of 
savages  led  by  experienced  Frenchmen  having  much  knowledge  of 
the  country. 

This  province  being  taken,  its  approaches  may  be  protected  by 
Indians  and  mulattoes,  who  may  be  required  to  occupy  the  narrow- 
est passes  of  the  mountains,  by  which  alone  it  can  be  entered,  and 
fire-arms  may  be  given  to  them  to  defend  it  with  greater  efficiency. 
This  undertaking  is  certain  of  success  if  it  is  executed  in  this  man- 
ner, since  the  Spaniards  cannot  be  prepared  to  defend  passes  of 
which  they  have  no  knowledge  ;  whereas,  if  attacked  by  the  River 
Panuco,  or  by  sea,  in  open  warfare,  before  the  maritime  places  are 
conquered,  or  the  River  Panuco  is  ascended,  which  is  populated  from 
its  mouth  by  their  settlements,  they  would  have  leisure  to  occupy 
passes,  with  which  they  are  well  acquainted,  and  to  make  the  result 
doubtful,  or  at  least  more  difficult. 

It  is  true  that,  in  order  to  make  a  diversion,  the  buccaneers  (flibus- 
ticrs)  might  be  of  service  if  they  were  previously  to  make  an  attack 
and  made  descents  on  the  coast,  for  then  they  would  attract  the 
Spanish  troops  to  that  side,  who  would  thus  leave  the  distant  pro- 
vinces without  assistance.  The  French  of  St.  Domingo  would  be 
more  suited  for  these  expeditions  than  for  those  which  can  be  made 
with  the  assistance  of  savages,  who  would  not  fail  to  be  offended 


30  DE    LA    SALLE    ON    THE    NECESSITY    OF 

from  neglect  of  the  civility  which  is  necessary  in  order  to  obtain  their 
good  will,  and  from  neglect  of  the  reserve  which  ought  to  be  main- 
tained towards  their  wives,  of  whom  they  are  very  jealous  j — which 
causes  of  offence  would  render  useless  the  greatest  chances  of  suc- 
cess which  the  French  might  possess  in  this  enterprise. 

It  is  certain  that  France  would  draw  from  these  mines  greater 
benefits  than  Spain,  from  the  facility  of  transport,  although  Spain 
obtains  more  than  six  millions  (of  ecus?}  a  year.  We  might  also, 
perhaps,  open  a  passage  to  the  South  Sea,  which  is  not  more  distant 
than  the  breadth  of  the  province  of  Culiacan,  not  to  mention  the  pos- 
sibility of  meeting  with  some  rivers  near  to  the  Seignelai,  which  may 
discharge  themselves  on  that  side. 

The  Sieur  de  la  Salle  would  not  think  this  affair  so  easy,  if,  in  ad- 
dition to  his  knowledge  of  their  language,  he  was  not  familiar  with 
the  manners  of  the  savages,  through  which  he  may  obtain  as  much 
confidence  by  a  behavior  in  accordance  with  their  practices,  as  he 
has  impressed  on  them  a  feeling  of  respect  in  consequence  of  all  that 
he  has  yet  done  in  passing  with  a  small  number  of  followers  through 
so  many  nations,  and  punishing  those  who  broke  their  word  with 
him.  After  this  he  has  no  doubt  that  in  a  short  time  they  will  be- 
come good  French  subjects,  so  that,  without  drawing  any  considerable 
number  of  men  from  Europe,  they  will  form  a  powerful  colony,  and 
will  have  troops  sufficient  to  act  in  any  emergency,  and  for  the  exe- 
cution of  the  greatest  enterprises.  The  missionaries  of  Paraguay 
and  the  English  of  Boston  have  succeeded  so  well,  that  equal  suc- 
cess may  be  expected  by  the  adoption  of  measures  similar  to  theirs. 

Even  if  the  peace  of  Europe  should  make  it  necessary  to  postpone 
the  execution  of  this  design  as  respects  the  conquest  proposed,  it 
would  always  be  important  to  place  ourselves  in  a  position  to  suc- 
ceed in  them  when  the  state  of  affairs  shall  change,  taking  imme- 
diate possession  of  this  country  in  order  not  to  be  anticipated  by 
other  nations,  who  will  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of  the  information 
which  they  certainly  have,  since  the  Dutch  published  a  statement  of 
the  discovery  of  this  country  in  one  of  their  newspapers  more  than 
a  year  ago. 

If.  also,  the  Spaniards  should  delay  satisfying  the  king  at  the  con- 
clusion of  a  peace,  an  expedition  at  this  point  will  oblige  them  to 
hasten  its  conclusion,  and  to  give  to  his  Majesty  important  places  in 
Europe-  in  exchange  for  those  which  they  may  lose  in  a  country  of 
the  possession  of  which  they  are  extremely  jealous.  In  order,  also, 
to  hasten  them,  some  of  their  maritime  places  may  be  insulted  en 


TAKING    POSSESSION    OF    LOUISIANA.  31 

passant,  the  pillage  of  which  may  well  repay  the  expenses  of  the 
expedition. 

There  never  was  an  enterprise  of  such  great  importance  proposed 
at  so  little  risk  and  expense,  since  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  asks  only  for 
its  execution  a  vessel  of  about  30  guns,  the  power  of  raising  in 
France  200  men  whom  he  shall  think  proper  for  his  purpose,  and 
exclusive  of  the  fitting  out  of  the  ship,  provisions  for  six  months, 
some  cannon  to  mount  at  a  fort,  the  necessary  arms  and  supplies,  and 
wherewith  to  pay  the  men  for  the  period  of  a  year.  These  expenses 
would  be  repaid  in  a  short  time  by  the  duties  which  his  Majesty 
might  have  levied  on  the  articles  which  would  enter  into  the  com- 
merce that  would  be  carried  on  there,  and  respecting  which  a  sepa- 
rate memoir  has  been  delivered. 

It  would  not  require  much  time  to  bring  this  expedition  to  an  end, 
since  it  is  nearly  certain  that  the  savages  can  be  assembled  next 
winter,  and  complete  this  conquest  in  the  spring,  in  sufficient  time 
to  report  the  news  of  it  by  the  time  the  first  vessel  returns  to  France. 

The  Sieur  de  la  Salle  does  not  ask  for  regular  troops.  He  prefers 
the  assistance  of  persons  of  different  trades,  or  at  least  a  majority  of 
such — first,  because  they  will  become  soldiers  when  it  may  be  neces- 
sary for  them  to  be  so ;  secondly,  because,  in  enterprises  of  this 
kind,  success  depends  more  on  the  experience  of  the  commander  than 
on  the  bravery  of  those  who  have  only  to  obey,  as  was  shown  in 
what  was  done  by  those  who  previously  accompanied  the  Sieur  de  la 
Salle,  the  greater  part  of  whom  had  not  seen  service  ;  thirdly,  this 
warfare  is  so  different  from  that  carried  on  in  Europe,  that  the  oldest 
soldiers  would  be  found  to  be  still  novices,  so  that  50  old  soldiers  to 
keep  the  others  in  order,  together  with  50  buccaneers,  and  those 
whom  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  has  in  the  country  accustomed  to  such 
expeditions,  will  be  sufficient  to  sustain  the  rest,  and  to  render  them 
capable  of  any  enterprise  whatever  •  fourthly,  if  only  soldiers  were 
taken,  it  would  require  double  expense  to  bring  to  the  settlement  the 
necessary  laborers ;  fifthly,  the  officers  who  would  command  the 
troops,  finding  a  life  of  greater  hardship  than  they  had  imagined,  and 
unmixed  with  any  pleasure,  would  soon  be  dissatisfied,  and  this  feel- 
ing would  easily  communicate  itself  to  the  soldiers  when  they  should 
discover  that  there  was  no  relaxation  of  their  fatigues  in  debauch 
and  license  ;  sixthly,  it  would  be  the  ruin  of  the  settlement  to  com- 
mence it  with  idlers,  such  as  most  soldiers  are.  Far  from  contribut- 
ing to  the  prosperity  of  a  colony,  they  destroy  its  most  favorable 
hopes  by  the  disorders  which  they  cause. 


32  1)E  LA  SALLE  ON  THE  NECESSITY  OF 

[t  may  be  objected  that  the  River  Seignelai  (Illinois)  is,  perhaps, 
more  distant  from  New  Biscay  than  has  been  assumed.  To  answer 
this  diiliculty  it  is  sufficient  to  mention  that  the  rnouth  through  which 
it  enters  the  Mississippi  isJIHUcagues  west-north-west  from  the  place 
where  the  latter  river  discharges  itself  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
that  it  has  been  ascended  more  than  GO  leagues,  going  always  to  the 
west,  after  which  Monseigneur  can  judge  of  the  truth  of  what  has 
been  put  forth  respecting  the  distance  between  this  river  and  the 
province. 

The  second  difficulty  which  may  be  raised  may  be,  that  peace 
being  concluded,  no  advantage  can  be  taken  of  that  post.  The  an- 
swer is,  that  peace  is  the  most  proper  time  to  prepare  for  war  when 
it  shall  become  necessary.  Even  if  peace  should  prevent  us  from 
deriving  all  the  advantages  which  we  may  expect  from  this  expense, 
we  should  be  well  remunerated  if  we  choose  to  profit  by  the  future, 
because  we  should  have  more  leisure  to  conciliate  and  discipline  the 
savages,  and  to  strengthen  the  colony,  from  which  circumstances  we 
could  obtain  more  important  advantages,  and  execute  more  glorious 
and  profitable  undertakings  (choscs).  It  may  be  feared  that  we  may. 
at  a  future  time,  make  an  unavailing  search  for  that  which  we  might 
now  abandon  to  strangers.  The  injury  which  the  colonies  of  Hud- 
son Bay  and  of  New  England,  which  were  formerly  disregarded,  do 
to  New  France,  ought  to  serve  as  a  warning  on  this  subject. 

The  third  objection  respecting  the  insults  which  the  Spaniards 
might  inflict  on  the  settlement,  has  already  been  answered  in  describ- 
ing the  position  which  makes  it  inaccessible  by  land,  and  almost 
equally  safe  from  an  attack  by  water,  in  consequence  of  the  danger 
a  hostile  fleet  would  incur  if  it  should  attempt  to  advance  so  far  up  a 
very  narrow  river. 

Fourthly,  those  who  do  not  know  the  policy  of  the  savages,  and 
the  knowledge  which  they  have  of  their  true  interests,  will,  perhaps, 
think  it  to  be  dangerous  to  arm  them.  But  besides  the  experience 
which  we  have  of  the  contrary,  not  one  of  the  French  allies  having 
yet  abused  the  favor  (condcsccndancc)  shown  to  them  for  these  eighty 
years,  it  is  certain  that  those  nations  which  we  call  savage,  know  too 
well  the  importance  to  them  of  having  arms  for  their  own  defence 
and  for  the  conquest  of  their  enemies,,  to  make  use  of  them  against 
those  who  supply  them. 

Fifthly,  it  may  be  said,  that  should  so  small  a  force  succeed  in 
driving  the  Spaniards  from  this  province,  it  would  not  be  adequate  to 
resist  all  the  forces  of  Mexico,  which  they  would  unite  to  revenge 


TAKING    POSSESSION    OF    LOUISIANA.  33 

this  affront.  The  answer  to  this  is,  that  these  forces  are  not  so  con- 
siderable as  is  supposed — that  they  cannot  leave  unprotected  other 
places — that  it  will  require  much  time  to  assemble  them ;  the  diver- 
sion which  the  buccaneers  may  cause  compelling  them  to  provide  for 
the  most  urgent  want, — and  that,  finally,  the  Indians,  Mulattoes,  and 
Negroes,  armed  and  freed  by  this  first  success  from  the  terror  which 
they  have  of  the  Spaniards,  would  be  able  to  dispute  the  advance  of 
the  largest  army  which  could  be  raised  in  Mexico.  Besides  which, 
they  would  stake  all,  in  order  not  to  be  again  reduced  to  a  state  of 
slavery. 

Sixthly,  it  is  not  believed  that  the  expense  will  be  an  objection, 
since  it  is  too  inconsiderable  in  proportion  to  the  great  advantages  to 
be  hoped  for,  even  if  peace  should  delay  their  enjoyment.  These 
advantages  are  of  such  importance  as  to  make  it  profitable  to  incur 
it  for  some  years  rather  than  to  hazard  their  loss.  The  enterprise 
ought  not  to  be  delayed  to  a  period  when  we  should  no  longer  have 
the  mastery  of  it.  It  is  also  to  be  believed  that  the  Spaniards,  feel- 
ing themselves  pushed  so  closely  on  that  side,  would  assent  to  condi- 
tions of  peace  most  advantageous  to  France,  and,  as  has  been  al- 
ready stated,  the  duties  which  his  Majesty  could  levy  on  the  mer- 
chandise, which  would  be  obtained  from  thence,  would  repay  with 
usury  the  expenses  incurred. 

Seventhly,  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  would  oblige  himself,  in  case  the 
peace  should  continue  for  three  years,  and  thus  prevent  him  from 
executing  the  proposed  design,  to  repay  to  his  Majesty  all  that  may 
be  advanced,  or  to  forfeit  the  property  and  government  which  he  shall 
have  created — which  he  hopes  his  Majesty  will  be  willing  to  confirm 
to  him. 

NOTE  OF  WHAT  IS  REQUISITE  FOR  THE  EXPEDITION. 

A  vessel  of  30  guns,  armed  and  provided  with  everything  neces- 
sary, and  the  crew  paid  and  supported  during  the  voyage  ;  twelve 
other  pieces  of  cannon  for  the  two  forts,  of  five  or  six  pounds  to  the 
ball,  and  eight  cannon  of  ten  or  twelve,  with  the  gun  carriages  and 
train:  two  hundred  balls  for  each  cannon,  and  powder  in  proportion. 

A  hundred  picked  men,  levied  at  the  expense  of  his  Majesty,  but 
selected  by  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle.  Their  pay  for  one  year  to  be 
120  (?)  a  man,  and  as  the  money  would  be  of  no  avail  to  them  in  the 
colony,  it  shall  be  converted  at  the  place  of  embarcation  into  goods 
(denrees]  proper  for  them. 

The  pay,  during  six  months,  of  100  (?)  for  the  other  men,  enlisted 

4 


34         DE    LA    SALLE    O\    TAKING    POSSESSION    OF    LOUISIANA. 

by  the  Sicur  de  la  Salle,  to  be  paid  by  his  Majesty  during  the  time 
they  shall  be  employed  in  the  proposed  conquests. 

Victuals  for  all  during  six  months ;  600  musquets  for  arming  400 
savages,  in  addition  to  1,600  who  are  already  armed,  and  the  others 
for  the  200  Frenchmen. 

A  hundred  pair  of  pistols  proper  to  be  worn  in  the  girdle ;  150 
swords,  and  as  many  sabres,  25  pikes  (pertuisanes),  25  halberds, 
20,000  Ibs.  of  gunpowder,  four  to  five  (?)  of  which  to  be  given  to 
each  savage,  and  the  remainder  left  in  the  forts,  and  for  the  use  of 
the  French  during  the  expedition. 

Musquet  balls  of  the  proper  calibre  in  proportion ;  gun-worms, 
powder-horns,  rifle-flints,  300  to  400  grenades,  six  petards  of  the 
smallest  and  largest  kind,  pincers,  pickaxes,  hoes,  hones,  shovels, 
axes,  hatchets,  and  cramp-irons  for  the  fortifications  and  buildings  • 
5,000  to  6,000  Ibs.  of  iron,  and  400  Ibs.  of  steel  of  all  sorts.  A 
forge  with  its  appurtenances,  besides  the  tools  necessary  for  armor- 
ers, joiners,  coopers,  wheelwrights,  carpenters,  and  masons. 

Two  boxes  of  surgery  provided  with  medicine  and  instruments. 

Two  chapels  and  the  ornaments  for  the  almoners. 

A  barge  of  forty  tons  in  pieces  (en  fagots],  or  built  with  its  appur- 
tenances. 

Refreshments  for  the  sick. 


LETTERS  PATENT 

GRANTED    BY    THE    KING    OF    FRANCE    TO    THE    SIEUR    DE    LA    SALLE,    ON 
THE    12TH    MAY,    1676. 


TRANSLATION'. 


Louis,  by  the  grace  of  God,  King  of  France  and  of  Navarre.  To 
our  dear  and  well-beloved  Robert  Cavelier.  Sieur  de  la  Salic, 
greeting. 

We  have  received  with  favor  the  very  humble  petition,  which  has 
been  presented  to  us  in  your  name,  to  permit  you  to  endeavor  to  dis- 
cover the  western  part  of  New  France  ;  and  we  have  consented  to  this 
proposal  the  more  willingly,  because  there  is  nothing  we  have  more 
at  heart  than  the  discovery  of  this  country,  through  which  it  is  pro- 

•f  •/    '  O 

bable  a  road  may  be  found  to  penetrate  to  Mexico  (dans  hiqucl  it  y  a 
apparence  que  Ton  trouvera  un  chemin  pour  pcncirer  jusqu'av  Mcxique) ; 
and  because  your  diligence  in  clearing  lands  which  we  granted  to 
you  by  the  decree  of  our  council  of  the  13th  of  May,  101").  and.  by 
Letters  Patent  of  the  same  date,  to  form  habitations  upon  the  said 
lands,  and  to  put  Fort  Frontenac  in  a  good  state  of  defence,  the 
seigniory  and  government  whereof  we  likewise  granted  to  you, 
affords  us  every  reason  to  hope  that  you  will  succeed  to  our  satisfac- 
tion, and  to  the  advantage  of  our  subjects  of  the  said  country. 

For  these  reasons,  and  others  thereunto  moving  us,  we  have  per- 
mitted, and  do  hereby  permit  you,  by  these  presents,  signed  by  our 
hand,  to  endeavor  to  discover  the  western  part  of  New  France,  and, 
for  the  execution  of  this  enterprise,  to  construct  forts  wherever  you 
shall  deem  it  necessary  ;  which  it  is  our  will  that  you  shall  hold  on 
the  same  terms  and  conditions  as  Fort  Frontenac,  agreeably  and 
conformably  to  our  said  Letters  Patent  of  the  13th  of  March,  1075, 
which  we  have  confirmed,  as  far  as  is  needful,  and  hereby  confirm 
by  these  presents.  And  it  is  our  pleasure  that  they  be  executed 
according  to  their  form  and  tenor. 

To  accomplish  this,  and  everything  above-mentioned,  we  give  you 
full  powers  ;  on  condition,  however,  that  you  shall  finish  this  enter- 
prise within  five  years,  in  default  of  which  these  presents  shall  be 
void  and  of  none  effect;  that  you  carry  on  no  trade  whatever  with 
the  savages  called  Outaouacs,  and  others  who  brinir  their  beaver 


36  LETTERS    PATENT,    ETC. 

skins  and  other  peltries  to  Montreal ;  and  that  the  whole  shall  be 
clone  at  your  expense,  and  that  of  your  company,  to  which  we  have 
granted  the  privilege  of  the  trade  in  buffalo  skins.  And  we  com- 
mand the  Sieur  de  Frontenac,  our  Governor  and  Lieutenant-General, 
and  the  Sieur  Duchesne  Intendant,  and  the  other  officers  who  com- 
pose the  supreme  council  of  the  said  country,  to  affix  their  signatures 
to  these  presents  ;  for  such  is  our  pleasure.  Given  at  St.  Germain 
en  Laye,  this  12th  day  of  May,  1678,  and  of  our  reign  the  thirty- 
fifth. 

(Signed)  LOUIS. 

And  lower  down, 

By  the  King, 

COLBERT, 
And  sealed  with  the  great  seal  with  yellow  wax. 

The  act  of  the  Governor,  attached  to  these  presents,  ig  dated  the 
5th  of  November,  1673. 


OF  THE  SIEUH.  DE  LA  SALLE  REPORTING  TO  MONSEIGNEUR  DE  SEIGXE- 
LAY  THE  DISCOVERIES  MADE  BY  HDI  UNDER  THE  ORDER  OF  HIS 
MAJESTY. 

MOXSEIGNEUR  COLBERT  was  of  opinion,  with  regard  to  the  various 
propositions  which  were  made  in  1678,  that  it  was  important  for  the 
glory  and  service  of  the  king  to  discover  a  port  for  his  vessels  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  Sieur  de  la  Salle  offered  to  undertake  the  discovery,  at  his 
own  expense,  if  it  should  please  his  Majesty  to  grant  to  him  the 
Seignory  of  the  government  of  the  forts  which  he  should  erect  on 
his  route,  together  with  certain  privileges  as  an  indemnification  for 
the  great  outlay  which  the  expedition  would  impose  on  him.  Such 
grant  was  made  to  him  by  letters  patent  of  the  12th  of  May,  1678. 

In  order  to  execute  this  commission,  he  abandoned  all  his  own  pur- 
suits which  did  not  relate  to  it.  He  did  not  omit  anything  necessary 
for  success,  notwithstanding  dangerous  sickness,  considerable  losses, 
and  other  misfortunes  which  he  suffered,  which  would  have  dis- 
couraged any  other  person  not  possessed  of  the  same  zeal  with  him- 
self, and  the  same  industry  in  the  performance  of  the  undertaking. 
He  has  made  five  voyages  under  extraordinary  hardships,  extending 
over  more  than  5,000  leagues,  most  commonly  on  foot,  through  snow 
and  water,  almost  without  rest,  during  five  years.  He  has  traversed 
more  than  600  leagues  of  unknown  country,  among  many  barba- 
rous and  cannibal  nations  (anthropophages),  against  whom  he  was 
obliged  to  fight  almost  daily,  although  he  was  accompanied  by  only 
36  men,  having  no  other  consolation  before  him  than  a  hope  of  bring- 
ing to  an  end  an  enterprise  which  he  believed  would  be  agreeable  to 
his  Majesty. 

After  having  happily  executed  this  design,  he  hopes  Monseigneur 
will  be  pleased  to  continue  him  in  the  title  (propricte]  and  govern- 
ment of  the  fort  which  he  has  had  erected  in  the  country  of  his  dis- 
covery, where  he  has  placed  several  French  settlers — and  has 
brought  together  many  savage  nations,  amounting  to  more  than 
18.000  in  number,  who  have  built  houses  there  and  sown  much 
ground — to  commence  a  powerful  colony. 


10. 


3S  MEMOIR    OF 

Tins  is  the  only  fruit  of  an  expenditure  of  150,000  (.-fits — the  only 
means  of  satisfying  his  creditors  who  advanced  to  him  the  aid  which 
lie  required  after  very  considerable  losses. 

lie  believes  that  he  has  sufficiently  established  the  truth  of  his 
discovery  by  the  official  instrument  signed  by  all  his  companions, 
which  was  placed  last  year  in  the  hands  of  Monseigneur  Colbert  by 
the  Count  de  Frontenac : — as  also  by  a  report  drawn  up  by  the 
Reverend  Father  Zenoble,  Missionary,  who  accompanied  him  during 
this  voyage,  and  who  is  at  this  time  Guardian  of  Bapaume  : — by  the 
testimony  of  three  persons  who  accompanied  him,  and  whom  he  has 
brought  with  him  to  France,  and  who  are  now  in  Paris  : — and  by 
the  testimony  of  many  other  persons  who  came  this  year  from  Ca- 
nada, and  who  have  seen  one  Vital,  sent  by  M.  de  la  Barre  to  col- 
lect information  respecting  him  on  the  spot,  and  who  has  confirmed 
the  truth  of  the  discovery. 

All  these  proofs  are  sufficient  to  contradict  whatever  may  have 
been  written  to  the  contrary,  by  persons  who  have  no  knowledge  of 
the  country  where  the  discovery  was  made — never  having  been 
there.  But  he  hopes  to  remove  all  these  prejudices,  by  carrying 
into  execution  the  design  which  he  entertains,  under  the  favor  o* 
Monseigneur,  of  returning  to  the  country  of  his  discovery,  by  the 
mouth  of  the  river  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  since  he  must  have  lost  his 
sense,  if,  without  being  certain  of  the  means  of  arriving  where  he 
proposes,  he  exposed  not  only  his  own  fortune  and  that  of  his  friends 
to  manifest  destruction,  but  his  own  honor  and  reputation  to  the  una- 
voidable disgrace  of  having  imposed  on  the  confidence  of  his  Majesty 
and  of  his  ministers.  Of  this  there  is  less  likelihood,  because  he 
has  no  interest  to  disguise  the  truth,  since,  if  Monseigneur  does  not 
think  it  convenient  to  undertake  any  enterprise  in  that  direction,  ho 
will  not  ask  anything  more  from  his  Majesty,  until  his  return  from 
the  ( Jiilf  of  Mexico  confirms  the  truth  of  what  he  has  alleged.  With 
reference  to  the  assertion  that  his  voyage  would  produce  no  profit  to 
France,  he  replies,  that  if  he  proposed  it  as  a  thing  to  be  done,  and 
on  that  account  sought  for  assistance  to  undertake  the  enterprise,  or 
reward  after  having  succeeded  in  it,  its  usefulness  would  deserve 
consideration  ;  but  being  here  only  in  order  to  render  an  account  of 
the  orders  he  received,  he  does  not  think  himself  to  be  responsible  for 
anything  but  their  execution,  it  not  being  his  duty  to  examine  the 
i'it>'!;tions  of  Monseigneur  Colbert.  Having,  however,  observed 
givnt  advantages  which  both  France  and  Canada  may  derive  from 
his  discovery,  he  believes  that  he  owes  this  detail  to  the  glory  of  the 


DE  LA  SALLE'S  DISCOVERIES.  39 

King,  the  welfare  of  the  kingdom — to  the  honor  of  the  Ministry  of 
Monseigneur,  and  to  the  memory  of  him  who  employed  him  upon 
this  expedition.  He  does  this  the  more  willingly,  as  his  requests  will 
not  expose  him  to  a  suspicion  of  self-interest;  and  as  the  influence 
which  he  has  acquired  over  the  people  of  that  continent  places  him 
in  a  position  to  execute  what  he  proposes,  the  things  which  he  states 
will  find  greater  credit  in  the  minds  of  those  who  shall  investigate 
them. 

Firstly,  the  service  of  God  may  be  established  there  by  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel  to  numerous  docile  and  settled  (sedentaires]  nations, 
who  will  be  found  more  willing  to  receive  it  than  those  of  other  parts 
of  America,  upon  account  of  their  greater  civilisation.  They  have 
already  temples  and  a  form  of  worship. 

Secondly,  we  can  effect  there  for  the  glory  of  our  King  very  im- 
portant conquests,  both  by  land  and  by  sea  ;  or  if  peace  should 
oblige  us  to  delay  the  execution  of  them,  we  might,  without  giving 
any  cause  of  complaint,  make  preparations  to  render  us  certain  of 
success  whenever  it  shall  please  the  King  to  command  it. 

The  provinces  which  may  be  seized  are  very  rich  in  silver  mines 
— they  adjoin  the  River  Colbert  (the  Mississippi) — they  are  far  re- 
moved from  succor — they  are  open  everywhere  on  the  side  on 
which  we  should  attack  them,  and  are  defended  only  by  a  small 
number  of  persons,  so  sunk  in  effeminacy  and  indolence  as  to  be 
incapable  of  enduring  the  fatigue  of  wars  of  this  description. 

The  Sieur  de  la  Salle  binds  himself  to  have  this  enterprise  ripe 
for  success  within  one  year  after  his  arrival  on  the  spot,  and  asks 
only  for  this  purpose  one  vessel,  some  arms,  and  munitions,  the 
transport,  maintenance,  and  pay  of  200  men  during  one  year. 
Afterwards  he  will  maintain  them  from  the  produce  of  the  country, 
and  supply  their  other  wants  through  the  credit  and  confidence 
which  he  has  obtained  among  those  nations,  and  the  experience 
which  he  has  had  of  those  regions.  He  will  give  a  more  detailed 
account  of  this  proposal  when  it  shall  please  Monseigneur  to  direct 
him. 

Thirdly,  the  river  is  navigable  for  more  than  a  hundred  leagues 
for  ships,  and  for  barks  for  more  than  500  leagues  to  the  north,  and 
for  more  than  800  from  east  to  west.  Its  three  mouths  are  as  many 
harbors,  capable  of  receiving  every  description  of  ships  ;  where  those 
of  his  Majesty  will  always  find  a  secure  retreat,  and  all  that  may  be 
necessary  to  refit,  and  re-victual — which  would  be  a  great  economy 
to  his  Majesty,  who  would  no  longer  find  it  necessary  to  send  the 


40  MEMOIR    OP 

things  needed  from  France  at  a  great  expense,  the  country  producing 
the  greater  part  of  them.  We  could  even  build  there  as  many  ships 
as  we  should  desire,  the  materials  for  building  and  rigging  them 
being  in  abundance,  with  the  exception  of  iron,  which  may  perhaps 
be  discovered. 

In  the  first  place  we  should  obtain  there  everything  which  has  en- 
riched New  England  and  Virginia,  and  which  constitute  the  founda- 
tion of  their  commerce  and  of  their  great  wealth — timber  of  every 
kind — salted  meat,  tallow,  corn,  sugar,  tobacco,  honey,  wax,  resin, 
and  other  gums ;  immense  pasturages,  hemp,  and  other  articles  with 
which  more  than  200  vessels  are  every  year  freighted  in  New  Eng- 
land to  carry  elsewhere. 

The  newly-discovered  country  has,  besides  its  other  advantages, 
that  of  the  soil,  which,  being  only  partly  covered  with  wood,  forms  a. 
campaign  of  great  fertility  and  extent,  scarcely  requiring  any  clear- 
ing. The  mildness  of  the  climate  is  favorable  to  the  rearing  of  a 
large  number  of  cattle,  which  cause  great  expense  where  the  Avinter 
is  severe.  There  is  also  a  prodigious  number  (plus  un  nomlre  prodi- 
gieux)  of  buffaloes,  stags,  hinds,  roes,  bears,  otters,  lynxes.  Hides 
and  furs  are  to  be  had  there  almost  for  nothing  (a  ml  prix),  the 
savages  not  yet  knowing  the  value  of  our  commodities.  There  are 
cotton,  cochineal,  nuts,  turnsols — entire  forests  of  mulberry-trees — 
salt,  slate,  coal,  vines,  apple-trees  ;  so  that  it  would  be  easy  to  make 
wine,  cider,  oil  of  nuts,  of  turnsols,  and  of  olives  also,  if  olive-trees 
were  planted  there,  silk,  and  dye-woods.  It  will  not  be  necessary 
to  import  from  Europe  horses,  oxen,  swine,  fowls,  or  turkeys,  which 
are  to  be  found  in  diil'erent  parts  of  the  country,  nor  to  import  provi- 
sions for  the  colonists,  who  would  quickly  find  subsistence. 

Whilst  other  colonies  are  open  and  exposed  to  the  descents  of 
foreigners  by  as  many  points  as  their  coasts  are  washed  by  the  sea, 
whereby  they  are  placed  under  a  necessity  of  having  many  persons 
to  watch  these  points  of  access  ;  one  single  post,  established  towards 
the  lower  part  of  the  river,  will  be  sufficient  to  protect  a  territory 
extending  more  than  eight  hundred  leagues  from  north  to  south,  and 
still  farther  from  east  to  west,  because  its  banks  are  only  accessible 
from  the  sea  through  the  mouth  of  the  river,  the  remainder  of  the 
coast  being  impenetrable  inland  for  more  than  twenty  leagues,  in 
consequence  of  woods,  bogs,  reeds,  and  marshes  (Icrres  tremblantes), 
through  which  it  is  impossible  to  march  ;  and  this  may  be  the  rea- 
son why  the  exploration  of  that  river  has  been  neglected  by  the 
Spaniards,  if  they  have  had  any  knowledge  of  it.  This  country  is 


DE  LA  SALLE'S  DISCOVERIES.  41 

equally  well  defended  in  the  interior  against  the  irruptions  of 
neighboring  Europeans,  by  great  chains  of  mountains  stretching  from 
east  to  west,  from  which  branches  of  the  river  take  their  source. 

It  is  true  that  the  country  is  more  open  towards  the  south-west, 
where  it  borders  on  Mexico,  where  the  very  navigable  river  the 
Seignelay,  which  is  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Colbert  (the  Missis- 
sippi), is  only  separated  by  a  forest  of  three  to  four  days'  journey  in 
depth.  But  besides  that  the  Spaniards  there  are  feeble  and  far  re- 
moved from  the  assistance  of  Mexico,  and  from  that  which  they  could 
expect  by  sea,  this  place  is  protected  from  their  insults  by  a  great 
number  of  warlike  savages,  who  close  this  passage  to  them,  and 
who,  constantly  engaged  with  them  in  cruel  wars,  would  certainly 
inflict  greater  evil  when  sustained  by  some  French,  whose  more  mild 
and  more  humane  mode  of  governing  will  prove  a  great  means  for 
the  preservation  of  the  peace  made  between  them  and  the  Sieur  de 
la  Salle. 

To  maintain  this  establishment,  which  is  the  only  one  required  in 
order  to  obtain  all  the  advantages  mentioned,  200  men  only  are 
needed,  who  would  also  construct  the  fortifications  and  buildings,  and 
effect  the  clearings  necessary  for  the  sustenance  of  the  colony  ;  after 
which  there  would  be  no  further  expenditure.  The  goodness  of  the 
country  will  induce  the  settlers  (habitans)  to  remain  there  willingly. 
The  ease  in  which  they  will  live  will  make  them  attend  to  the  culti- 
vation of  the  soil,  and  to  the  production  of  articles  of  commerce,  and 
will  remove  all  desire  to  imitate  the  inhabitants  of  New  France, 
who  are  obliged  to  seek  subsistence  in  the  woods  under  great 
fatigues,  in  hunting  for  peltries,  which  are  their  principal  resource. 
These  vagrant  courses,  common  in  New  France,  will  be  easily  pre- 
vented in  the  new  country,  because,  as  its  rivers  are  all  navigable, 
there  will  be  a  great  facility  for  the  savages  to  come  to  our  settle- 
ments, and  for  us  to  go  to  them  in  boats  which  can  ascend  all  the 
branches  of  the  river. 

If  foreigners  anticipate  us,  they  will  deprive  France  of  all  the 
advantages  to  be  expected  from  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  They 
will  complete  the  ruin  of  New  France,  which  they  already  hem  in 
through  Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  New  England,  and  the  Hudson's 
Bay.  They  will  not  fail  to  ascend  the  river  as  high  as  possible,  and 
to  establish  colonies  in  the  places  nearest  to  the  savages  who  now 
bring  their  furs  to  Montreal — they  will  make  constant  inroads  into 
the  countries  of  the  latter,  which  could  not  be  repressed  by  ordinan- 
ces of  his  Majesty.  They  have  already  made  several  attempts  to 


42  MEMOIR    OF 

discover  this  passage,  and  they  will  not  neglect  it  now  that  the  whole 
world  knows  that  it  is  discovered,  since  the  Dutch  have  published  it 
in  their  newspapers  upwards  of  a  year  ago.  Nothing  more  is  re- 
quired than  to  maintain  the  possession  taken  by  theSieur  de  la  Salle, 
in  order  to  deprive  them  of  sucli  a  desire,  and  to  place  ourselves  in 
a  position  to  undertake  enterprises  against  them  glorious  to  the  arms 
of  his  Majesty,  who  will  probably  derive  the  greatest  benefits  from 
the  duties  he  will  levy  there,  as  in  our  other  colonies. 

Even  if  this  affair  should  prove  hurtful  to  New  France,  it  will 
contribute  to  its  security,  and  render  our  commerce  in  furs  more  con- 
siderable. 

There  will  be  nothing  to  fear  from  the  Iroquois  when  the  nations 
of  the  south,  strengthened  through  their  intercourse  with  the  French, 
shall  stop  their  conquests,  and  prevent  their  being  powerful,  by  car- 
rying oiF  a  great  number  of  their  women  and  children,  which  they 
can  easily  do  from  the  inferiority  of  the  weapons  of  their  enemies. 
As  respects  commerce,  that  post  will  probably  increase  our  traffic 
still  more  than  has  been  done  by  the  establishment  of  Fort  Frontenac, 
which  was  built  with  success  for  that  purpose,  for  if  the  Illinois  and 
their  allies  were  to  catch  the  beavers,  which  the  Iroquois  now  kill  in 
their  neighborhood  in  order  to  carry  to  the  English,  the  latter,  not 
being  any  longer  able  to  get  them  from  their  own  colonies,  would  be 
obliged  to  buy  them  from  us,  to  the  great  benefit  of  those  who  have 
the  privilege  of  this  traffic. 

These  were  the  views  which  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  had  in  placing 
the  settlement  where  it  is.  The  colony  has  already  fult  its  effects, 
as  all  our  allies,  who  had  ffed  after  the  departure  of  M.  de  Frontenac, 
have  returned  to  their  ancient  dwellings,  in  consequence  of  the  con- 
fidence caused  by  the  fort,  near  which  they  have  defeated  a  party  of 
Iroquois,  and  have  built  four  other  forts  to  protect  themselves  from 
hostile  incursions.  The  Governor,  M.  do  la  Barre,  and  the  Inten- 
dant,  M.  de  Mculles,  have  told  the  Sieur  dc  la  Salle  that  they  would 
write  to  Monseigneur  to  inform  him  of  the  importance  of  that  fort 
in  order  to  keep  the  Iroquois  in  check,  and  that  M.  de  Lagny  had 
proposed  its  establishment  in  1(378.  Monseigneur  Colbert  permitted 
Sieur  dc  la  Salic  to  build  it,  and  granted  it  to  him  as  a  property.* 
In  order  to  prove  to  Monseigneur  the  sincerity  of  his  intentions  still 
more,  and  that  he  had  no  other  motive  in  selecting  this  site  than  the 
protection  of  the  men  he  has  left  there,  and  whom  he  did  not  think 

*  The  fort  of  St.  Louis  on  the  Illinois. 


DE  LA  SALLE'S  DISCOVERIES.  43 

right  to  place  in  such  small  number,  within  the  reach  of  the  Spa- 
niards, and  without  cannon  and  munition,  or  to  leave  in  so  distant  a 
country,  where,  in  case  of  sickness,  they  could  expect  no  assistance, 
nor  to  return,  home  from  thence  without  danger — he  offers  again  to 
descend  the  river  a  hundred  leagues  lower  down,  and  nearer  the  sea, 
and  to  establish  there  another  fort,  demolishing  the  first,  in  the  expec- 
tation, however,  that  Monseigneur  would  consider  the  expenses  incur- 
red in  its  establishment. 

It  may  be  said,  firstly,  that  this  colony  might  injure  the  commerce 
of  Quebec,  and  cause  the  desertion  of  its  inhabitants;  but  the  answer 
is,  that  by  descending  lower  down,  no  beavers  will  be  found.  Thus 
the  first  difficulty  will  be  removed,  which  again  would  not  have  any 
foundation,  even  if  Fort  St.  Louis  were  to  remain.  The  Illinois  will 
only  kill  the  beaver,  which,  after  their  departure,  would  fall  to  the 
share  of  the  Iroquois  only,  as  no  other  nation  dares  to  approach  those 
districts.  There  is  also  no  likelihood  that  deserters  would  choose  a 
long  and  difficult  route,  at  the  end  of  which  they  would  be  still  sub- 
ject to  be  apprehended  and  punished,  whilst  they  have  another  much 
shorter  and  easier  one  to  New  England,  where  they  are  quite  secure, 
and  which  many  take  every  year. 

A  second  objection  would  be,  that  the  goodness  of  the  country 
would  attract  so  many  people  as  to  diminish  the  population  of  France, 
as  it  is  said  Mexico  and  Peru  have  depopulated  Spain  ;  but,  besides 
that  France  is  more  peopled  than  Spain  has  ever  been,  and  that  the 
expulsion  of  1,800,000  Moors,  added  to  the  great  wars  she  has  had 
to  sustain,  is  the  real  cause  of  its  diminished  population,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  the  number  of  the  few  Spaniards  in  those  kingdoms,  who 
are  not  above  40,000,  is  not  a  number  of  emigrants  sufficient  to  make 
any  perceptible  change  in  France,  which  already  counts  more  than 
100;000  settlers  in  foreign  countries.  It  would  be  even  desirable 
that  instead  of  peopling  other  foreign  kingdoms,  the  riches  of  the 
country  newly  discovered  should  attract  them  to  it.  Moreover,  this 
objection  has  already  been  answered,  when  it  was  said  that  the  country 
can  be  defended  by  one  or  two  forts,  for  the  protection  of  which  only 
from  400  to  500  men  are  required,  a  number  comprising  only  one- 
half  of  the  crew  of  a  large  vessel. 

Whatever  has  been  imagined  respecting  the  mud  and  breakers 
which  are  supposed  to  stop  the  mouth  of  the  river  (Mississippi),  is 
easily  disproved  by  the  experience  of  those  who  have  been  there, 
and  who  found  the  entrances  fine,  deep,  and  capable  of  admitting 
the  largest  vessels.  It  would  appear  that  the  land  or  levees  de  terre 


44  MEMOIR    OF    DE    LA    SALLE*S    DISCOVERIES. 

are  covered  in  many  parts  with  good  growing  along  the  channel  of 
the  river  very  far  into  the  sea  ;  and  where  the  sea  is  deep  they  would 
not  be  suspected,  because  even  the  creeks  of  the  sea  are  tolerably 
deep  at  that  distance,  and  besides,  there  is  every  appearance  that 
the  current  of  the  river  has  formed  these  kind  of  dikes,  by  shoving 
on  both  sides  the  mud  with  which  the  winds  fill  the  neighboring 
creeks,  because  those  causeways  are  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  river, 
forming  for  it  a  bed,  as  it  were,  by  their  separation.  Nor  can  it  be 
believed  that  these  levees*  will  ever  change  their  position,  since  they 
consist  of  a  hard  soil,  covered  with  pretty  large  trees  following  regu- 
larly the  banks  of  the  river,  which  form  the  bed  of  it  for  more  than 
six  leagues  into  the  sea. 

In  the  memoir  respecting  New  Biscay,  the  difficulty  has  been 
dealt  with  respecting  the  inconstancy  of  the  savages.  They  know 
too  well  how  important  it  is  to  them  to  live  on  good  terms  with  us, 
to  fail  in  their  fidelity,  in  which  they  have  never  been  known  to 
fail  in  New  France.  Such  an  event  is  still  less  to  be  apprehended 
from  those  who  are  obedient  and  submissive  to  their  cciziques,  whose 
good-will  it  is  sufficient  to  gain,  in  order  to  keep  the  rest  in  obedi- 
ence. 

*  This  word  is  in  local  use  at  New  Orleans,  to  describe  both  the  great  artificial 
embankment  of  the  river  and  anv  natural  embankment. 


ACCOUNT  OF  THE 
TAKING  POSSESSION  OF  LOUISIANA, 

BY 

M.   DE    LA   SALLE. 

1682. 


"  PROCES  VERBAL  OF  THE  TAKING  POSSESSION  OF  LOUISIANA,  AT  THE 
MOUTH  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  BY  THE  SIEUR  DE  LA  SALLE,  ON  THE  0TH 
OF  APRIL,  1682. 

'•'  JAQUES  DE  LA  METAIRIE,  Notary  of  Fort  Frontenac  in  New 
France,  commissioned  to  exercise  the  said  function  of  Notary  during 
the  voyage  to  Louisiana,  in  North  America,  by  M.  de  la  Salle, 
Governor  of  Fort  Frontenac  for  the  King,  and  commandant  of  the 
said  Discovery  by  the  commission  of  his  Majesty  given  at  St.  Ger- 
main, on  the  12th  of  May,  1678. 

"  To  all  those  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come,  greeting  ; — 
Know,  that  having  been  requested  by  the  said  Sieur  de  la  Salle  to 
deliver  to  him  an  act,  signed  by  us  and  by  the  witnesses  therein 
named,  of  possession  by  him  taken  of  the  country  of  Louisiana,  near 
the  three  mouths  of  the  River  Colbert,*  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the 
9th  of  April,  1682, 

"  In  the  name  of  the  most  high,  mighty,  invincible,  and  victorious 
Prince,  Louis  the  Great,  by  the  Grace  of  God,  King  of  France  and 
of  Navarre,  Fourteenth  of  that  name,  and  of  his  heirs,  and  the  suc- 
cessor of  his  crown,  we,  the  aforesaid  Notary,  have  delivered  the 
said  act  to  the  said  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  the  tenor  whereof  follows. 

"  On  the  27th  of  December,  1681,  M.  de  la  Salle  departed  on  foot 
to  join  M.  De  Tonty,  who  had  preceded  him  with  his  followers  and 
all  his  equipage  40  leagues  into  the  Miamis  country,  where  the  ice 
on  the  River  Chekagou,  in  the  country  of  the  Mascoutens,  had  ar- 

*  Mississippi 


46  ACCOUNT    OF    THE 

rested  his  progress,  and  where,  when  the  ice  became  stronger,  they 
used  sledges  to  drag  the  baggage,  the  canoes,  and  a  wounded 
Frenchman,  through  the  whole  length  of  this  river,  and  on  the  Illi- 
nois, a  distance  of  70  leagues. 

"  At  length,  all  the  French  being  together,  on  the  25th  of  January, 
168:2,  we  came  to  Pimiteoui.  From  that  place,  the  river  being- 
frozen  only  in  some  parts,  we  continued  our  route  to  the  River 
Colbert,  00  leagues,  or  thereabouts,  from  Pimiteoui.  and  90 
leagues,  or  thereabouts,  from  the  village  of  the  Illinois.  We 
reached  the  banks  of  the  River  Colbert  on  the  Gth  of  January,  and 
remained  there  until  the  13th,  waiting  for  the  savages,  whose  pro- 
gress had  been  impeded  by  the  ice.  On  the  13th,  all  having  assem- 
bled, we  renewed  our  voyage,  being  22  French,  carrying  arms,  ac- 
companied by  the  Reverend  Father  Xenobe  Membre,  one  of  the  Re- 
collet  Missionaries,  and  followed  by  18  New  England  savages,  and 
several  women.  Ilgonquines,  Otchipoiscs,  and  Huronnes. 

"  On  the  14th,  we  arrived  at  the  village  of  Maroa,  consisting  of  a 
hundred  cabins,  without  inhabitants.  Proceeding  about  a  hundred 
leagues  down  the  River  Colbert,  we  went  ashore  to  hunt  on  the  26th 
of  February.  A  Frenchman  was  lost  in  the  woods,  and  it  was 
reported  to  M.  de  la  Salle,  that  a  large  number  of  savages  had  been 
seen  in  the  vicinity.  Thinking  that  they  might  have  seized  the 
Frenchman,  and  in  order  to  observe  these  savages,  he  marched 
through  the  woods  during  two  days,  but  without  finding  them,  be- 
cause they  had  all  been  frightened  by  the  guns  which  they  had 
heard,  and  had  fled. 

"  Returning  to  camp,  he  sent  in  every  direction  French  and 
savages  on  the  search,  with  orders,  if  they  fell  in  with  savages,  to 
take  them  alive  without  injury,  that  lie  might  gain  from  them  intelli- 
gence of  this  Frenchman,  (labriel  Barbie,  with  two  savages,  having 
met  five  of  the  Chikacha  nation,  captured  two  of  them.  They  were 
received  with  all  possible  kindness,  and.  after  he  had  explained  to 
them  that  he  was  anxious  about  a  Frenchman  who  had  been  lost,  and 
that  he  only  detained  them  that  he  might  rescue  him  from  their 
hands,  if  he  was  really  among  them,  and  afterwards  make  with 
them  an  advantageous  peace  (the  French  doing  good  to  everybody), 
they  assured  him  that  they  had  not  seen  the  man  whom  we  sought, 
but  that  peace  would  be  received  with  the  greatest  satisfaction. 
Presents  were  then  given  to  them,  and,  as  they  had  signified  that 
one  of  their  villages  was  not  more  than  half  a  day's  journey  distant, 
M.  de  la  Salle  set  out  the  next  dav  to  Lro  thither  :  but.  after  travel- 


TAKING    POSSESSION    OF    LOUISIANA.  47 

ling  till  night,  and  having  remarked  that  they  often  contradicted 
themselves  in  their  discourse,  he  declined  going  farther  without  more 
provisions.  Having  pressed  them  to  tell  the  truth,  they  confessed 
that  it  was  yet  four  days'  journey  to  their  villages  ;  arid  perceiving 
that  M.  de  la  Salle  was  angry  at  having  been  deceived,  they  proposed 
that  one  of  them  should  remain  with  him,  while  the  other  carried 
the  news  to  the  village,  whence  the  elders  would  come  and  join  them 
four  days'  journey  below  that  place.  The  said  Sieur  de  la  Salle 
returned  to  the  camp  with  one  of  these  Chikachas  ;  and  the  French- 
man, whom  we  sought,  having  been  found,  he  continued  his  voyage, 
and  passed  the  river  of  the  Chepontias,  and  the  village  of  the  Metsi- 
gameas.  The  fog,  which  was  very  thick,  prevented  his  finding  the 
passage  which  led  to  the  rendezvous  proposed  by  the  Chikachas. 

"  On  the  12th  of  March,  we  arrived  at  the  Kapaha  village  of 
Akansa.  Having  established  a  peace  there,  and  taken  possession,  we 
passed,  on  the  35th,  another  of  their  villages,  situate  on  the  border  of 
their  river,  and  also  two  others,  farther  off  in  the  depth  of  the  forest, 
and  arrived  at  that  of  Imaha,  the  largest  village  in  this  nation,  where 
peace  was  confirmed,  and  where  the  chief  acknowledged  that  the  vil- 
lage belonged  to  his  Majesty.  Two  Akansas  embarked  with  M.  de 
la  Salle  to  conduct  him  to  the  Talusas.  their  allies,  about  fifty  leagues 
distant,  who  inhabit  eight  villages  upon  the  borders  of  a  little  lake. 
On  the  19th,  we  passed  the  villages  of  Tourika,  Jason,  and  Kouera ; 
but  as  they  did  not  border  on  the  river,  and  were  hostile  to  the 
Akansas  and  Taensas,  we  did  not  slop  there. 

"  On  the  20th,  we  arrived  at  the  Taensas,  by  whom  we  were 
exceedingly  well  received,  and  supplied  with  a  large  quantity  of 
provisions.  M.  de  Tonty  passed  a  night  at  one  of  their  villages, 
where  there  were  about  700  men  carrying  arms,  assembled  in  the 
place.  Here  again  a  peace  was  concluded.  A  peace  was  also 
made  with  the  Koroas,  whose  chief  came  there  from  the  principal 
village  of  the  Koroas,  two  leagues  distant  from  that  of  the  Natches. 
The  two  chiefs  accompanied  M.  dc  la  Salle  to  the  banks  of  the  river. 
Here  the  Koroa  chief  embarked  with  him,  to  conduct  him  to  his 
village,  where  peace  was  again  concluded  with  this  nation,  which, 
besides  the  five  other  villages  of  which  it  is  composed,  is  allied  to 
nearly  forty  others.  On  the  31st.  we  passed  the  village  of  the 
Oumas  without  knowing  it,  on  account  of  the  fog,  and  its  distance 
from  the  river. 

"  On  the  3d  of  April,  at  about  10  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  saw 
among  the  canes  thirteen  or  fourteen  canoes.     M.  de  la  Salle  landed, 


48  ACCOUNT    OF    THE 

with  several  of  his  people.  Footprints  were  seen,  and  also  savages, 
a  little  lower  down,  who  were  fishing,  and  who  fled  precipitately  as 
soon  as  they  discovered  us.  Others  of  our  party  then  went  ashore 
on  the  borders  of  a  marsh  formed  by  the  inundation  of  the  river.  M. 
de  la  Salle  sent  two  Frenchmen,  and  then  two  savages,  to  reconnoi- 
tre, who  reported  that  there  was  a  village  not  far  off,  but  that  the 
whole  of  this  marsh,  covered  with  canes,  must  be  crossed  to  reach 
it ;  that  they  had  been  assailed  with  a  shower  of  arrows  by  the  in- 
habitants of  the  town,  who  had  not  dared  to  engage  with  them  in  the 
marsh,  but  who  had  then  withdrawn,  although  neither  the  French 
nor  the  savages  with  them  had  fired,  on  account  of  the  orders  they 
had  received  not  to  act  unless  in  pressing  danger.  Presently  we 
heard  a  drum  beat  in  the  village,  and  the  cries  and  howlings  with 
which  these  barbarians  are  accustomed  to  make  attacks.  We  waited 
three  or  four  hours,  and,  as  we  could  not  encamp  in  this  marsh,  and 
seeing  no  one,  and  no  longer  hearing  anything,  wo  embarked. 

"  An  hour  afterwards,  we  came  to  the  village  of  Maheouala,  lately 
destroyed,  and  containing  dead  bodies  and  marks  of  blood.  Two 
leagues  below  this  place  we  encamped.  We  continued  our  voyage 
till  the  6th,  when  we  discovered  three  channels  by  which  the  River 
Colbert  (Mississippi)  discharges  itself  into  the  sea.  We  landed  on 
the  bank  of  the  most  western  channel,  about  three  leagues  from  its 
mouth.  On  the  7th,  M.  de  la  Salle  went  to  reconnoitre  the  shores 
of  the  neighboring  sea,  and  M.  de  Tonty  likewise  examined  the 
great  middle  channel.  They  found  these  two  outlets  beautiful,  large, 
and  deep.  On  the  8th,  we  reascended  the  river,  a  little  above  its 
confluence  with  the  sea,  to  find  a  dry  place,  beyond  the  reach  of 
inundations.  The  elevation  of  the  North  Pole  was  here  about  '27°. 
Here  we  prepared  a  column  and  a  cross,  and  to  the  said  column 
were  affixed  the  arms  of  France,  with  this  inscription  : 

'LOUIS  LE  GRAND,  1101  DE  FRANCE  ET  DE  NAVARRE,  REGNE; 
LE  NEUVIEME  AVRIL,  lf,S2.' 

The  whole  party,  under  arms,  chaunted  the  Tc  Dcinn,  the  Exaudiat, 
the  Dominc  salrnmfac  Regent ;  and  then,  after  a  salute  of  fire-arms 
and  cries  of  Vive  k  Roi,  the  column  was  erected  by  M.  de  la  Salle, 
who,  standing  near  it,  said,  with  a  loud  voice,  in  French  : — '  In  the 
name  of  the  most  high,  mighty,  invincible,  and  victorious  Prince, 
Louis  the  Great,  by  the  Grace  of  God  King  of  France  and  of  Na- 
varre. Fourteenth  of  that  name,  this  ninth  day  of  April,  one  thousand 
six  hundred  and  eighty-two,  I,  in  virtue  of  the  commission  of  his 


TAKING    POSSESSION    OF    LOUISIANA.  49 

Majesty  which  I  hold  in  my  hand,  and  which  may  be  seen  by  all 
whom  it  may  concern,  have  taken,  and  do  now  take,  in  the  name  of 
his  Majesty  and  of  his  successors  to  (lie  crown,  possession  of  this 
country  of  Louisiana,  the  seas,  harbors,  ports,  bays,  adjacent  straits  ; 
and  all  the  nations,  people,  provinces,  cities,  towns,  villages,  mines, 
minerals,  fisheries,  streams,  and  rivers,  comprised  in  the  extent  of 
said  Louisiana,  from  the  mouth  of  the  great  river  St.  Louis,  on  the 
eastern  side,  otherwise  called  Ohio,  Alighin,  Sipore,  or  Chukagona, 
and  this  with  the  consent  of  the  Chaouanons,  Chikachas,  and  other 
people  dwelling  therein,  with  whom  we  have  made  alliance  ;  as  also 
along  the  River  Colbert,  or  Mississippi,  and  rivers  which  discharge 
themselves  therein,  from  its  source  beyond  the  country  of  the  Kious 
or  Nadouessious,  and  this  with  their  consent,  and  with  the  consent  of 
the  Motantees,  llinois,  Mesigameas,  Natches,  Koroas,  which  are  the 
most  considerable  nations  dwelling  therein,  with  whom  also  we  have 
made  alliance,  either  by  ourselves  or  by  others  in  our  behalf;*  as 
far  as  its  mouth  at  the  sea,  or  Gulf  of  Mexico,  about  the  27th  degree 
of  the  elevation  of  the  North  Pole,  and  also  to  the  mouth  of  the  River 
of  Palms ;  upon  the  assurance  which  we  have  received  from  all 
these  nations,  that  we  are  the  first  Europeans  who  have  descended 
or  ascended  the  said  River  Colbert ;  hereby  protesting  against  all 
those  who  may  in  future  undertake  to  invade  any  or  all  of  these 
countries,  people,  or  lands,  above  described,  to  the  prejudice  of  the 
right  of  his  Majesty,  acquired  by  the  consent  of  the  nations  herein 
named.  Of  which,  and  of  all  that  can  be  needed,  I  hereby  take  to 
witness  those  who  hear  me,  and  demand  an  act  of  the  Notary,  as 
required  by  law.' 

"  To  which  the  whole  assembly  responded  with  shouts  of  Vive  le 
Roi,  and  with  salutes  of  fire-arms.  Moreover,  the  said  Sieur  do  ia 
Salle  caused  to  be  buried  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  to  which  the  cross 
was  attached,  a  leaden  plate,  on  one  side  of  which  were  engraved 
the  arms  of  France,  and  the  following  Latin  inscription  : — 

LVDOVICVS  MAGXVS  REGXAT. 

N(h\0  APRIL1S  CIO  IOC  LXXXII. 

ROBF.RTVS  CAVELIER,  CVM  DOMINO  DE  TOXTY,  LEGATO,  R.  P 
XEXODIO  MEMBRK,  RECOLLECTO,  ET  VIGLViT  GALLIS,  PRI.MVS 
HOC  ELVMEX,  IXDE  All  ILIXEORVM  PAGO,  EXAVIGAVIT,  EJVS- 
QUE  OST1V.M  FECIT  PERVIVM,  XOXO  APRILIS  A.XNI  CIO  IOC 
LXXXII. 


50       AN   ACCOUNT  OF  THE  TAKING   POSSESSION  OF  LOUISIANA. 

After  which  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  said,  that  his  Majesty,  as  eldest 
son  of  the  Church,  would  annex  no  country  to  his  crown,  without 
making  it  his  chief  care  to  establish  the  Christian  religion  therein, 
and  that  its  symbol  must  now  be  planted ;  which  was  accordingly 
done  at  once  by  erecting  a  cross,  before  which  the  Vexilla  and  the 
Do/nine  salvum  fac  Ilcgcm  were  sung.  Whereupon  the  ceremony 
was  concluded  with  cries  of  Vive  Ic  Roi. 

"  Of  all  and  every  of  the  above,  the  said  Sieur  de  la  Salle  having 
required  of  us  an  instrument,  we  have  delivered  to  him  the  same, 
signed  by  us,  and  by  the  undersigned  witnesses,  this  ninth  day  of 
April,  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty-two. 

"  LA  METAIRIE. 

"  Notary. 

"  DE  LA  SALLE. 

"  P.  ZENOBE,  llccollet  Missionary. 

"  HENRY  DE  TONTY. 

"  FRANCOIS  DE  BOISRONDET. 

'•'  JEAN  BOURDON. 

'-'  SIEUR  D'AUTRAY. 

'•'  JAQUES  CAUCHOIS. 

"  PIERRE  You. 

"  (JILLES  MEUCRET. 

"  JEAN  MICHEL,  Surgeon. 

"  JEAN  MAS. 

"  JEAN  DULIGNON. 

"  NICOLAS  DE  LA  SALLE.'''' 


WILL  OF  THE  SIEUR  DE  LA  SALLE. 
1681. 

ROBERT  CAVELIER.  Esquire,  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  Seigneur  and  Gover- 
nor of  the  Fort  Frontenac  in  New  France,  considering  the  great 
dangers  and  continual  perils  in  which  the  voyages  I  undertake  en- 
gage me,  and  wishing  to  acknowledge,  as  much  as  I  am  able,  the 
great  obligations  which  I  owe  to  M.  Francois  Plet,  my  cousin,  for  the 
signal  services  which  he  has  rendered  to  me  in  my  most  pressing  neces- 
sities, and  because  it  is  through  his  assistance  that  I  have  preserved 
to  this  time  Fort  Frontenac  against  the  efforts  which  were  made  to 
deprive  me  of  it,  I  have  given,  granted,  and  transferred,  and  give, 
grant,  and  transfer,  by  these  presents,  to  the  said  M.  Plet,  in  case  of 
my  death,  the  seigniory  and  property  of  the  ground  and  limits  of  the 
said  Fort  Frontenac  and  its  depending  lands,  and  all  my  rights  in  the 
country  of  the  Miamis,  Illinois,  and  others  to  the  south,  together  with 
the  establishment  which  is  in  the  country  of  the  Miamis,  in  the  con- 
dition which  it  shall  be  at  the  time  of  my  death,  that  of  Niagara,  and 
all  the  others  which  I  may  have  founded  there,  together  with  all 
barges,  boats,  great  boats,  moveables,  and  iminoveables,  rights,  pri- 
vileges, rents,  lands,  buildings,  and  other  things  belonging  to  me 
which  shall  be  found  there;  willing  that  these  presents  be,  and  serve 
for  my  testament  and  declaration  in  the  manner  in  which  I  ought  to 
make  it,  such  being  my  last  will  as  above  written  by  my  hand,  and 
signed  by  my  hand,  after  having  read  it  and  again  read  it  (hi  cl  relii). 

Made  at  Montreal,  the  llth  of  August,  1081. 

(Signed)  CAVELIER  HE  LA  SALLE. 


M  E  M  0  I  R  ,  * 


THE   SIEUR  DE  LATONTY. 

"  MEMOIR  SENT  IN  1693,  ON  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  AND 
THE  NEIGHBORING  NATIONS  BY  M.  DE  LA  SALLE,  FROM  THE  YEAR 
1078  TO  THE  TIME  OF  HIS  DEATH,  AND  BY  THE  SIEUK  LIE  TONTY 
TO  THE  YEAR  1091." 


AFTER  having  been  eight  years  in  the  French  service,  by  land  and 
by  sea,  and  having  had  a  hand  shot  oil"  in  Sicily  by  a  grenade,  I  re- 
solved to  return  to  France  to  solicit  employment.  At  that  time  the 
late  M.  CAVELIER  DE  LA  SALLE  came  to  Court,  a  man  of  great  intel- 
ligence and  merit,  who  sought  to  obtain  leave  to  discover  the  CJulf  of 
Mexico  by  crossing  the  southern  countries  of  North  America.  Hav- 
ing obtained  of  the  King  the  permission  he  desired  through  the 
favor  of  the  late  M.  Colbert,  and  Al.  de  Seignelai,  the  late  Monseig- 
neur  the  Prince  Gouty,  who  was  acquainted  with  him,  and  \\ho 
honored  me  with  his  favor,  directed  me  to  him  to  be  allowed  to  ac- 
company him  in  his  long  journeys,  which  he  very  willingly  assented 
to.  We  sailed  from  Rochellc  on  the  1-lth  of  July,  107^,  and  arrived 
at  Quebec  on  the  loth  of  September  following.  We  recruited  there 
for  some  days,  and  after  having  taken  leave  of  M.  de  Frontenac,  as- 
cended the  St.  Lawrence  as  far  as  Fort  Frontenac  (Kingston),  1x10 
leagues  from  Quebec,  on  the  hanks  of  the  Lake  Frontenac  (Lake 
Ontario),  which  is  about.  -'500  leagues  round.  After  staying  there 
four  days,  wo  embarked  in  a  boat  of  40  tons  burthen  to  cross  the 
lake,  and  on  Christmas  day  we  were  opposite  a  village  called  (son- 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    I)E    TONTY.  Od 

noutouan,  to  which  M.  de  la  Salle  sent  some  canoes  to  procure  Indian 
corn  for  our  subsistence.  From  thence  we  sailed  towards  Niagara? 
intending  to  look  for  a  place  above  the  Falls  where  a  boat  might  be 
built.  The  winds  were  so  contrary  that  we  could  not  approach  it 
nearer  than  nine  leagues,  which  obliged  us  to  go  by  land.  We  found 
there  some  cabins  of  the  Iroquois,  who  received  us  well.  We  slept 
there,  and  the  next  day  we  went  three  leagues  further  up  to  look  for 
a  good  place  to  build  a  boat,  and  there  encamped.  The  boat  we 
came  in  was  lost  through  the  obstinacy  of  the  pilot,  whom  M.  de  la 
Salle  had  ordered  to  bring  it  ashore.  The  crew  and  the  things  in  it 
were  saved.  M.  de  la  Salle  determined  to  return  to  Fort  Frontenac 
over  the  ice,  and  I  remained  in  command  at  Niagara,  with  a  Father 
Recollet  and  30  men.  The  boat  was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1679. 
M.  de  la  Salle  joined  us  with  two  other  boats,  and  several  men  to 
assist  us  to  work  the  boat  up  the  Rapids,  which  I  was  not  able  to 
ascend  on  account  of  the  weakness  of  my  crew.  He  directed  me  to 
proceed  and  wait  for  him  at  the  extremity  of  Lake  Erie,  at  a  place 
called  Detroit,  120  leagues  from  Niagara,  to  join  some  Frenchmen 
whom  he  had  sent  off  the  last  autumn.  I  embarked  in  a  canoe  of 
bark,  and  when  we  were  near  Detroit  the  boat  came  up.  We  got 
into  it,  and  continued  our  voyage  as  far  as  Michilimakinac,  where  we 
arrived  at.  the  end  of  August,  having  crossed  two  lakes  larger  than 
that  of  Frontenac  (Ontario).  We  remained  there  some  days  to  rest 
ourselves,  and  as  M.  de  la  Salle  intended  to  go  to  the  Illinois,  he  sent 
me  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  which  is  situated  where  Lake  Superior 
discharges  itself  into  Lake  Huron,  to  look  for  some  men  who  had  de- 
serted,  and  he  in  the  meantime  sailed  for  the  Lake  Illinois.  Having 
arrived  at  Poutouatamis,  an  Illinois  village,  the  calumet  was  sung, 
during  which  ceremony  presents  were  given  and  received.  There 
is  a  post  placed  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly,  where  those  who  wish 
to  make  known  their  great  deeds  in  war,  striking  the  post,  declaim  on 
the  deeds  they  have  done.  This  ceremony  takes  place  in  presence 
of  those  with  whom  they  wish  to  make  friendship,  the  calumet  being 
the  symbol  of  peace.  M.  de  la  Salle  sent  his  boat  back  to  Niagara 
to  fetch  the  things  he  wanted,  and,  embarking  in  a  canoe,  continued 
his  voyage  to  the  Miamis  River,  and  there  commenced  building  a 
house.  In  the  meantime  I  came  up  with  the  deserters,  and  brought 
them  back  to  within  30  leagues  of  the  Miamis  River,  where  I  was 
obliged  to  leave  my  men,  in  order  to  hunt,  our  provisions  failing  us. 
I  then  went  on  to  join  M.  do  la  Salle.  When  I  arrived  he  told  me 
he  wished  that  all  the  men  had  come  with  me  in  order  that  he  might 


45  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

proceed  to  the  Illinois.  I  therefore  retraced  my  way  to  find  them, 
but  the  violence  of  the  wind  forced  me  to  land,  and  our  canoe  was 
upset  by  the  violence  of  the  waves.  It  was,  however,  saved,  but 
everything  that  was  in  it  was  lost,  and  for  want  of  provisions  we  lived 
for  three  days  on  acorns.  I  sent  word  of  what  had  happened  to  M. 
de  laSalle,  and  he  directed  me  to  join  him.  I  went  back  in  my  little 
canoe,  and  as  soon  as  I  arrived  we  ascended  25  leagues,  as  far  as  the 
portage,  where  the  men  whom  I  had  left  behind  joined  us.  We 
made  the  portage,  which  extends  about  two  leagues,  and  came  to  the 
source  of  the  Illinois  River.  We  embarked  there,  and  ascending  the 
river  for  100  leagues,  arrived  at  a  village  of  the  savages.  They  were 
absent  hunting,  and  as  we  had  no  provisions  we  opened  some  caches*' 
of  Indian  corn. 

During  this  journey  some  of  our  Frenchmen  were  so  fatigued  thai 
they  determined  to  leave  us.  but  the  night  they  intended  to  go  was 
so  cold  that  their  plan  \vas  broken  up.  We  continued  our  route,  in 
order  to  join  the  savages,  and  found  them  30  leagues  above  the  vil- 
lage. When  they  saw  us  they  thought  we  were  Iroquois,  and  put 
themselves  on  the  defensive  and  made  their  women  run  into  the 
woods  ;  but  when  they  recognized  us  the  women  were  called  back 
with  their  children,  and  the  calumet  was  danced  to  M.  dc  la  Salle 
and  me,  in  order  to  mark  their  desire  to  live  in  peace  with  us.  We 
gave  them  some  merchandise  for  the  corn  which  he  had  taken  in 
their  village.  This  was  on  the  3d  of  January.  1079-^0. 

As  it  was  necessary  to  fortifv  ourselves  during  the  winter  we 
made  a  fort  which  was  called  ('rei-cca'itr.  Part  of  our  people  de- 
serted, and  they  had  even  put  poison  into  our  kettle.  31.  de  la  Salle 
was  poisoned,  but  he  Mas  saved  by  sonic  antidote  a  friend  hud  given 
to  him  in  France.  The  desertion  of  these  men  gave  us  less  annoy- 
ance than  the  effect  which  it  had  on  the  minds  of  the  savages.  The 
enemies  of  M.  dc  la  Salle  had  spread  a  report  among  the  Illinois  that 
we  were  friends  of  the  Iroijuois,  who  are  their  greatest  enemies. 
The  eliect  this  produced  will  be  seen  hereafter. 

M.  de  la  Salic  commenced  building  a  boat  to  descend  the  river. 
lie  sent  a  Father  Rccollet,  with  the  Sieur  Deau,  to  discover  the  na- 

*  "  The  tvrrn  rnclic.  meaning  a  place  of  concealment,  was  originally  used  by 
I  he  French  Canadian  trappers  and  traders.  It  is  made  by  diirLciiiir  a  hide  in  the 
LTimind,  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  a  jnu',  which  is  lined  with  dry  sticks,  irrnss. 
or  ahvthiim  el-e  that  \\ill  protect  its  contents  from  the  dampness  of  the  earth. 
fn  t!:i-  place  the  iroodsto  he  conrcaled  are.  carefully  stowed  away." — -(iregl^'y 
Commerce  of  the  Prniri'  x.  vol.  i..  p.  f><-'. 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  OO 

tion  of  the  Sioux,  400  leagues  from  the  Illinois  on  the  Mississippi 
River  southwards,  a  river  that  runs  not  less  than  800  leagues  to  the 
sea  without  rapids.  He  determined  to  go  himself  by  land  to  For1 
Frontenac,  because  he  had  heard  nothing  of  the  boat  which  he  had 
sent  to  Niagara.  He  gave  me  the  command  of  this  place,  and  left  us 
on  the  22d  of  March,  with  five  men.  On  his  road  he  met  with  two 
men,  whom  he  had  sent  in  the  autumn  to  Michilimakinac  to  obtain 
news  of  his  boat.  They  assured  him  that  it  had  not  come  down,  and 
he  therefore  determined  to  continue  his  journey.  The  two  men  were 
sent  to  me  with  orders  to  go  to  the  old  village  to  visit  a  high  rock, 
and  to  build  a  strong  fort  upon  it.  Whilst  I  was  proceeding  thither 
all  rny  men  deserted,  and  took  away  everything  that  was  most  valua- 
ble. They  left  me  with  two  Rccollets  and  three  men,  newly  arrived 
from  France,  stripped  of  everything  and  at  the  mercy  of  the  savages. 
All  that  I  could  do  was  to  send  an  authentic  account  of  the  affair  to 
M.  de  la  Salle.  He  laid  wait  for  them  on  Lake  Frontenac,  took 
some  of  them  and  killed  others,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  Illi- 
nois. As  for  his  boat,  it  was  never  heard  of. 

During  the  time  this  happened  the  Illinois  were  greatly  alarmed  at 
seeing  a  party  of  GOO  Iroquois.  It  was  then  near  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember. The  desertion  of  our  men,  and  the  journey  of  M.  de  la 
Salle  to  Fort  Frontenac,  made  the  savages  suspect  that  we  intended 
to  betray  them.  They  severely  reproached  me  on  the  arrival  of 
their  enemies.  As  I  was  so  recently  come  from  France  and  was 
not  then  acquainted  with  their  manners,  I  was  embarrassed  at  this 
event  and  determined  to  go  to  the  enemy  with  necklaces,  and  to  tell 
them  that  I  was  surprised  they  should  come  to  make  war  with  a  na- 
tion dependent  on  the  government  of  New  France,  and  which  M.  de 
la  Salle,  whom  they  esteemed,  governed.  An  Illinois  accompanied 
me.  and  we  separated  ourselves  from  the  body  of  the  Illinois,  who,  to 
the  number  of  400  only,  were  fighting  with  the  enemy.  When  I 
was  within  gun-shot  the  Iroquois  shot  at  us,  seized  me,  took  the 
necklace  from  my  hand,  and  one  of  them  plunged  a  knife  into  my 
breast,  wounding  a  rib  near  the  heart.  However,  having  recognized 
me,  they  carried  me  into  the  midst  of  the  camp,  and  asked  me  what  I 
came  for.  I  gave  them  to  understand  that  the  Illinois  were  under 
the  protection  of  the  King  of  France  and  of  the  Governor  of  the 
country,  and  that  I  was  surprised  that  they  wished  to  break  with  the 
French,  and  not  to  continue  at  peace.  All  this  time  skirmishing 
was  coing  on  on  both  sides,  and  a  warrior  came  to  give  notice  that 
their  left  wing  was  giving  way,  and  that  they  had  recognized  some 


56  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

Frenchmen  among  the  Illinois,  who  shot  at  them.  On  this  they 
were  greatly  irritated  against  me,  and  held  a  council  on  what  they 
should  do  with  me.  There  was  a  man  behind  me  with  a  knife  in 
his  hand,  who  every  now  and  then  lifted  up  my  hair.  They  were 
divided  in  opinion.  Tegantouki,  chief  of  the  Isonoutouan,  desired  to 
have  me  burnt.  Agoasto,  chief  of  the  Onnoutagucs,  wished  to  have 
me  set  at  liberty,  as  a  friend  of  M.  de  la  Salle,  and  he  carried  his 
point.  They  agreed  that,  in  order  to  deceive  the  Illinois,  they  should 
give  me  a  necklace  of  porcelain  beads  to  prove  that  they  also  were 
children  of  the  Governor,  and  ought  to  unite  and  make  a  good  peace. 
They  sent  me  to  deliver  this  message  to  the  Illinois.  I  had  much 
difficulty  in  reaching  them,  on  account  of  the  blood  I  had  lost,  both 
from  my  wound  and  from  my  mouth.  On  my  way  I  met  the  Fathers 
Gabriel  de  la  Ribourde  and  Zenoble  Membre,  who  were  coming  to 
look  after  me.  They  expressed  great  joy  that  these  barbarians  had 
not  put  me  to  death.  We  went  together  to  the  Illinois,  to  whom  I 
reported  the  sentiments  of  the  Iroquois,  adding,  however,  that  they 
must  not  altogether  trust  them.  They  retired  within  their  village, 

O  •/  O 

but  seeing  the  Iroquois  present  themselves  every  day  in  battle  array, 
they  went  to  rejoin  their  wives  and  children,  three  leagues  off. 
When  they  went  I  was  left  with  the  two  Recollets  and  three  French- 
men. The  Iroquois  made  a  fort  in  their  village,  and  left  us  in  a 
cabin  at  some  distance  from  their  fort.  Two  days  after,  the  Illinois 
appearing  on  the  neighboring  hills,  the  Iroquois  thought  that  we 
had  some  communication  with  them ;  this  obliged  them  to  take  us 
within  their  fort.  They  pressed  me  to  return  to  the  Illinois  and  in- 
duce them  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace.  They  gave  me  one  of  their 
own  nation  as  a  hostage,  and  I  went  with  Father  Zenoble.  The  Iro- 
quois remained  with  the  Illinois,  and  one  of  the  latter  came  with  me. 
When  we  got  to  the  fort,  instead  of  mending  matters,  he  spoilt  them 
entirely  by  owning  that  they  had  in  all  only  400  men,  and  that  the 
rest  of  their  young  men  were  gone  to  war.  and  that  if  the  Iroquois 
really  wished  for  peace  they  were  ready  to  give  them  the  beaver 
skins  and  some  slaves  which  they  hud.  The  Iroquois  cnlled  me  to 
them  and  loaded  me  with  reproaches;  they  told  me  that  I  was  a  liar 
to  have  said  that  the  Illinois  had  1,'JOO  warriors,  besides  the  allies 
who  had  given  them  assistance.  \Vhere  were  the  00  Frenchmen 
who  I  had  told  them  had  been  left  at  the  village  <*  I  had  much 
difficulty  in  getting  out  of  the  scrape.  The  same  evening  they  sent 
back  the  Illinois  to  tell  his  nation  to  come  the  next  day  to  within  half 
a  league  of  the  fort,  and  that  they  would  there  conclude  the  peace. 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  57 

which  in  fact  they  did  at  noon.  The  Iroquois  gave  them  presents  of 
necklaces  and  merchandise.  The  first  necklace  signified  that  the 
Governor  of  New  France  was  angry  at  their  having  come  to  molest 
their  brothers ;  the  second  was  addressed  to  M.  de  la  Salle  with  the 
same  meaning  ;  and  the  third,  accompanied  with  merchandise,  bound 
them  as  by  oath  to  a  strict  alliance  that  hereafter  they  should  live  as 
brothers.  They  then  separated,  and  the  Illinois  believed,  after  these 
presents,  in  the  sincerity  of  the  peace,  which  induced  them  to  come 
several  times  into  the  fort  of  Iroquois,  where  some  Illinois  chiefs 
having  asked  me  what  I  thought,  I  told  them  they  had  everything  to 
fear,  that  their  enemies  had  no  good  faith,  that  I  knew  that  they  were 
making  canoes  of  elm-bark,  and  that  consequently  it  was  intended  to 
pursue  them  ;  and  that  they  should  take  advantage  of  any  delay  to 
retire  to  some  distant  nation,  for  that  they  would  most  assuredly  be 
betrayed. 

The  eighth  day  after  their  arrival,  on  the  10th  of  September,  the 
Iroquois  called  me  and  the  Father  Zenoble  to  council,  and  having 
made  me  sit  down,  they  placed  six  packets  of  beaver  skins  before  us, 
and  addressing  me,  they  said,  that  the  two  first  packets  were  to  in- 
form M.  de  Frontenac  that  they  would  not  eat  his  children,  and  that 
he  should  not  be  angry  at  what  they  had  done  ;  the  third,  a  plaster 
for  my  wound  ;  the  fourth,  some  oil  to  rub  on  my  own  and  Father 
Zenoble's  limbs,  on  account  of  the  long  journeys  we  had  taken  ;  the 
fifth,  that  the  sun  was  bright  ;*  the  sixth,  that  we  should  profit  by  it 
and  depart  the  next  day  for  the  French  settlements.  I  asked  them 
when  they  would  go  away  themselves.  Murmurs  arose,  and  some 
of  them  said  that  they  would  eat  some  of  the  Illinois  before  they 
went  away  ;  upon  which  I  kicked  away  their  presents,  saying,  that 
I  would  have  none  of  them,  since  they  desired  to  eat  the  children  of 
the  Governor.  An  Abenakis  who  was  with  them,  who  spoke  French, 
told  me  that  I  irritated  them,  and  the  chiefs  rising  drove  me  from 
the  council.  We  went  to  our  cabin,  where  we  passed  the  night  on 
our  guard,  resolved  to  kill  some  of  them  before  they  should  kill  us, 
for  we  thought  that  we  should  not  live  out  the  night.  However,  at 
daybreak  they  directed  us  to  depart,  which  we  did.  After  live 
hours'  sailing  we  landed  to  dry  our  peltries  which  were  wet,  while  we 
repaired  our  canoe.  The  Father  Gabriel  told  me  he  was  going  aside 
to  pray.  I  advised  him  not  to  go  away,  because  we  were  surround- 


.„  .....querne  ils  nous  exhortaient  a 
limply  ;— "  Le  5e  quel  e  -oleil  etait 


58  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF     LOUISIANA. 

eel  by  enemies.  lie  went  about  1000  paces  off,  and  was  taken  by 
forty  savages,  of  a  nation  called  Kikapous,  who  carried  him  away 
and  broke  his  head.  Finding  that  he  did  not  return.  I  went  to  look 
for  him  witli  one  of  the  men.  Having  discovered  his  trail,  I  found  it 
cut  by  several  others,  which  joined  and  ended  at  last  in  one.  I 
brought  back  this  sad  news  to  the  Father  Zenoble,  who  was  greatly 
grieved  at  it.  Towards  evening  we  made  a  great  fire,  hoping  that 
perhaps  he  might  return  ;  and  we  went  over  to  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  where  we  kept  a  good  look  out.  Towards  midnight  we  saw  a 
man  at  a  distance,  and  then  many  others.  The  next  day  we  crossed 
over  the  river  to  look  for  our  crew,  and  after  waiting  till  noon  we 
embarked  and  reached  the  Lake  Illinois  by  short  journeys,  always 
hoping  to  meet  with  the  good  father.  After  having  sailed  on  the 
lake  as  far  as  La  Touissant  we  were  wrecked,  twenty  leagues  from 
the  village  of  Poutouatamis.  Our  provisions  failing  us.  I  left  a  man 
to  take  care  of  our  things  and  went  off  by  land  ;  but  as  I  had  a  fever 
constantly  on  me  ami  my  legs  were  swollen,  we  did  not  arrive  at 
this  village  till  St.  Martin's  day  (November  11,  1(180).  During  this 
journev  we  lived  on  wild  garlick,  which  we  were  obliged  to  grub 
up  from  under  the  snow.  When  we  arrived  we  found  no  savages  : 
they  were  gone  to  their  winter  quarters.  We  were  obliged  to  go  to 
the  places  they  had  left,  where  we  obtained  hardly  as  much  as  two 
handfnls  of  Indian  corn  a  day,  and  some  fro/en  gourds  which  we 
piled  up  in  a  cabin  at  the  water's  side.  Whilst  we  were  gleaning,  a 
Frenchman  whom  we  had  left  at  the  cache,  came  to  the  cabin  where 
we  hud  left  our  little  store  of  provisions.  He  thought  we  had  put 
them  there  flu1  him,  and  therefore  did  not  spare  them.  \\  e  were 
very  much  surprised,  as  we  were  going  oil' to  Miclulimakinac.  to  find 
him  in  the  cabin,  where  he  had  arrived  three  days  before.  AVe  had 
much  pleasure  in  seeing  him  again,  but  little  to  see  our  provisions 
partly  consumed.  We  did  not  dehiy  to  embark,  and  after  two  hours' 
sail,  the  wind  in  the  oiling  obliged  us  to  land,  when  I  saw  a  fresh 
trail,  i'lid  directed  that  it  should  be  followed.  It  led  to  the  Poutouata- 
mis village,  who  had  mad'1  a  portage  to  the  bay  of  the  1'uans.  The 
next  day.  weak"  as  we  were,  we  carried  our  canoe  and  all  our  things 
into  this  bay.  to  which  there  was  a  league  of  portage.  We  embark- 
ed in  Stur^i'on  ('reek,  and  turned  to  th'>  right  at  ha/ard,  not  know- 
ing where  to  go.  After  sailing  fora  league,  we  found  a  number  of 
cabins  which  h-d  us  to  expect  soon  to  find  the  savages. 

Five   leagues    from   this   place  we   were   stopped    by  the  wind   for 
eight  davs.  which  compelled  us  to  consume  the  few  provisions  we  had 


MEMOIR    BY    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  59 

collected  together,  and  at  last  we  were  without  anything.  We  held 
a  council,  and  despairing  of  being  able  to  come  up  with  the  savages, 
every  one  asked  to  return  to  the  village,  where  at  least  there  was 
wood,  so  that  we  might  die  warm.  The  wind  lulling  we  set  off,  and 
on  entering  Sturgeon's  Creek  we  saw  a  fire  made  by  savages  who 
had  just  gone  away.  We  thought  they  were  gone  to  their  village, 
and  determined  to  go  there  ;  but  the  creek  having  frozen  in  the  night 
we  could  not  proceed  in  our  canoe.  We  made  shoes  of  the  late 
Father  Gabriel's  cloak,  having  no  leather.  We  were  to  have  started 
in  the  morning,  but  one  of  my  men  being  very  ill  from  having  eaten 
some  parre-feche  in  the  evening,  delayed  us.  As  I  was  urging  our 
starting,  two  Ottawas  savages  came  up,  who  led  us  to  where  the  Pou- 
touatamis  were.  We  found  some  Frenchmen  with  them,  who  kindly 
received  us.  I  spent  the  winter  with  them,  and  the  Father  Zenoble 
left  us  to  pass  the  winter  with  the  Jesuits  at  the  end  of  the  bay.  I 
left  this  place  in  the  spring  (1031)  for  Michilimakinac,  hardly  reco- 
vered from  the  effects  of  what  we  had  suffered  from  hunger  and 
cold  during  thirty-four  days.  We  arrived  at  .Michilimakinac  about 
the  fete  Dieu  in  October.  M.  de  la  Salle  arrived  with  M.  Forest 
some  days  afterwards,  on  his  way  to  seek  us  at  the  Illinois.  He  was 
very  glad  to  see  us  again,  and  notwithstanding  the  many  past  re- 
verses, made  new  preparations  to  continue  the  discovery  which  he 
had  undertaken.  I  therefore  embarked  with  him  for  Fort  Frontenac, 
to  fetch  things  that  we  should  want  for  the  expedition.  The  Father 
Zenoble  accompanied  us.  When  we  came  to  Lake  Frontenac,  M. 
de  la  Salle  went  forward,  and  I  waited  for  his  boat  at  the  village  of 
Tezagon.  When  it  arrived  there  I  embarked  for  Illinois.  At  the 
Miamis  River  1  assembled  some  Frenchmen  and  savages  for  the 
voyage  of  discovery,  and  M.  do  la  Salic  joined  us  in  October.  We 
went  in  canoes  to  the  River  Chicagou.  where  there  is  a  portage 
which  joins  that  of  the  Illinois.  The  rivers  being  frozen,  we  made 
sledges  and  dragged  our  baggage  thirty  leagues  below  the  village  of 
Illinois,  where,  finding  the  navigation  open,  we  arrived  at  the  end  of 
January  at  the  groat  River  Mississippi.  The  distance  from  Chicagou 
was  estimated  at  140  leagues.  We  descended  the  river,  and  found, 
six  loagues  below,  on  the  right,  a  great  river.*  which  comes  from  the 
west,  on  which  there  are  numerous  nations.  We  slept  at  its  mouth. 
The  next  day  we  went  on  to  the  village  of  Tamarous,  six  leagues 
off  on  the  left.  There  was  no  one  there,  all  the  people  being  at  their 


69  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

winter  quarters  in  the  woods.  We  made  marks  to  inform  the 
savages  that  we  had  passed,  and  continued  our  route  as  far  as  the 
River  Ouabache,*  which  is  eighty  leagues  from  that  of  Illinois.  It 
comes  from  the  east,  and  is  more  than  500  leagues  in  length.  It  is 
by  this  river  that  the  Iroquois  advance  to  make  war  against  the 
nations  of  the  south.  Continuing  our  voyage  about  sixty  leagues, 
we  came  to  a  place  which  was  named  Fort  Prudhomme,  because 
one  of  our  men  lost  himself  there  when  out  hunting,  and  was  nine 
days  without  food.  As  they  were  looking  for  him  they  fell  in  with 
two  Chikasas  savages,  whose' village  was  three  days'  journey  inland. 
They  have  2,000  warriors,  the  greatest  number  of  whom  have  jlat 
heads,  which  is  considered  a  beauty  among  them,  the  women  taking 
pains  to  flatten  the  heads  of  their  children,  by  means  of  a  cushion 
which  they  put  on  the  forehead  and  bind  with  a  band,  which  they 
also  fasten  to  the  cradle,  and  thus  make  their  heads  take  this  form. 
When  they  grow  up  their  faces  are  as  big  as  a  large  soup  plate. 
All  the  nations  on  the  sea-coast  have  the  same  custom. 

M.  de  la  Salle  sent,  back  one  of  them  with  presents  to  his  village, 
so  that,  if  they  had  taken  Prudhomme,  they  might  send  him  back, 
but  we  found  him  on  the  tenth  day,  and  as  the  Chikasas  did  not 
return,  we  continued  our  route  as  far  as  the  village  of  Cappa,  fifty 
leagues  off.  We  arrived  there  in  foggy  weather,  and  as  we  heard 

O  CCJtf 

the  sound  of  the  tamhor  we  crossed  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
where,  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  we  made  a  fort.  The  savages 
having  been  informed  that  we  were  corning  down  the  river,  came  in 
their  canoes  to  look  for  us.  We  made  them  land,  and  sent  two 
Frenchmen  as  hostages  to  their  village  ;  the  chief  visited  us  with  the 
calumet,  and  we  went  to  the  savages.  They  regaled  us  with  the 
best  they  had,  and  after  having  danced  the  calumet  to  M.  de  la  Salle, 
they  conducted  us  to  their  village  of  Toyengan.  eight  leagues  from 
Cappa.  They  received  us  there  in  the  same  manner,  and  from  thence 
they  went  with  us  to  Toriman,  two  leagues  further  on,  where  we  met 
with  the  same  reception.  It  must  be  here  remarked  that  these  vil- 
lages, the  first  of  which  is  Osotonov,  are  six  leagues  to  the  right 

o  *•    '  O  o 

descending  the  river,  and  are  commonly  called  Akancas  (Arkansas). 
The  first  three  villages  are  situated  on  the  great  river  (Mississippi). 
M.  de  la  Salic  erected  the  arms  of  the  King  there  ;  they  have  cabins 
made  with  th<i  bark  of  cedar;  they  have  no  other  worship  than  the 
adoration  of  all  sorts  of  animals.  Their  country  is  very  beautiful, 

*  Ohio. 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  01 

having  abundance  of  peach,  plum  and  apple  trees,  and  vines  flourish 
there;  buffaloes,  deer,  stags,  bears,  turkeys,  are  very  numerous. 
They  have  even  domestic  fowls.  They  have  very  little  snow  during 
the  winter,  and  the  ice  is  not  thicker  than  a  dollar.  They  gave  us 
guides  to  conduct  us  to  their  allies,  the  Taencas,  six  leagues  distant. 
The  first  day  we  began  to  see  and  to  kill  alligators,  which  are 
numerous  and  from  15  to  '20  feet  long.  When  we  arrived  opposite 
to  the  village  of  the  Taencas,  M.  de  la  Salle  desired  me  to  go  to  it 
and  inform  the  chief  of  his  arrival.  I  went  with  our  guides,  and  we 
had  to  carry  a  bark  canoe  for  ten  arpcns,  aud  to  launch  it  on  a  small 
lake  in  which  their  village  was  placed.  I  was  surprised  to  find  their 
cabins  made  of  mud  and  covered  with  cane  mats.  The  cabin  of  the 
chief  was  40  feet  square,  the  wall  10  feet  high,  a  foot  thick,  and  the 
roof,  which  was  of  a  dome  shape,  about  15  feet  high.  I  was  not 
less  surprised  when,  on  entering,  I  saw  the  chief  seated  on  a  camp 
bed,  with  three  of  his  wives  at  his  side,  surrounded  by  more  than  UO 
old  men,  clothed  in  large  white  cloaks,  which  are  made  by  the  women 
out  of  the  bark  of  the  mulberry  tree,  and  are  tolerably  well  worked. 
The  women  were  clothed  in  the  same  manner;  and  every  time  the 
chief  spoke  to  them,  before  answering  him,  they  howled  and  cried 
out  several  times — "  O-o-o-o-o-o  !"  to  show  their  respect  for  him,  for 
their  chiefs  are  held  in  as  much  consideration  as  our  kings.  No  one 
drinks  out  of  the  chief's  cup,  nor  eats  out  of  his  plate,  and  no  one 
passes  before  him ;  when  he  walks  they  clean  the  path  before  him. 
When  he  dies  they  sacrifice  his  youngest  wife,  his  house-steward 
(maitre  d'hote!},  and  a  hundred  men,  to  accompany  him  into  the  other 
world.  They  have  a  form  of  worship,  and  adore  the  sun.  There  is 
a  temple  opposite  the  house  of  the  chief,  and  similar  to  it,  except  that 
three  eagles  are  placed  on  this  temple,  who  look  towards  the  rising 
sun.  The  temple  is  surrounded  with  strong  mud  walls,  in  which  are 
fixed  spikes,  on  which  they  place  the  heads  of  their  enemies  whom 
they  sacrifice  to  the  sun.  At  the  door  of  the  temple  is  a  block  of 
wood,  on  which  is  a  great  shell  (vignot),  and  plaited  round  with  the 
hair  of  their  enemies  in  a  plait  as  thick  as  an  arm,  and  about  20 
fathoms  (toises)  long.  The  inside  of  the  temple  is  naked  ;  there  is 
an  altar  in  the  middle,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  three  logs  of  wood 
are  placed  on  end,  and  a  fire  is  kept  up  day  and  night  by  two  old 
priests  (jongleurs'),  who  are  the  directors  (ma'dres)  of  their  worship. 
These  old  men  showed  me  a  small  cabinet  within  the  wall,  made  of 
mats  of  cane.  Desiring  to  see  what  was  inside,  the  old  men  pre- 
vented me,  giving  me  to  understand  that  their  God  was  there.  But 


62  HISTORICAL.    COLLCCTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA, 

I  have  since  learnt  that  it  is  the  place  where  they  keep  their  treasure, 
such  as  line  pearls  which  they  fish  up  in  the  neighborhood,  and  Ku- 
ropeau  merchandise.  At  the  last  quarter  of  the  moon  all  the  cabins 
make  an  offering  of  a  dish  of  the  best  food  they  have,  which  is  placed 
at  the  door  of  ihe  temple.  The  old  men  take  care  to  carry  it  away, 
and  to  make  a  good  feast  of  it  with  their  families.  Every  spring 
they  make  a  clearing,  which  they  name  "the  field  of  the  spirit,'' 
when  all  the  men  work  to  the  sound  of  the  tambour.  In  the  autumn 
the  Indian  corn  is  harvested  with  much  ceremony,  and  stored  in 
magazines  until  the  moon  of  June  in  the  following  year,  when  all 
the  village  assemble,  and  invite  their  neighbors  to  cat  it.  They  do 
not  leave  the  ground  until  they  have  eaten  it  all,  making  great  re- 
joicings the  whole  time.  This  is  all  I  learnt  of  this  nation.  The 
three  villages  below  have  the  same  customs. 

Let  us  return  to  the  chief.  When  J  was  in  his  cabin  he  told  me 
with  a  smiling  countenance  the  pleasure  he  felt  at  the  arrival  of  the 
French.  I  saw  that  one  of  his  wives  wore  a  pearl  necklace,  f  pre- 
sented her  with  ten  yards  of  blue  glass  beads  in  exchange  for  it. 
She  made  some  difficulty,  but  the  chief  having  told  her  to  let  me 
have  it,  she  did  so.  I  carried  it  to  M.  de  la  Salle,  giving  him  an  ac- 
count of  all  that  I  had  seen,  and  told  him  that  the  chief  intended  to 
visit  him  the  next  day — which  he  did.  He  would  not  have  done  this 
for  savages,  but  the  hope  of  obtaining  some  merchandise  induced  him 
to  act  thus.  lie  came  the  next  day  with  wooden  canoes  to  the  sound 
of  the  tambour  and  the  music  of  the  women.  The  savages  of  the 
river  use  no  other  boats  than  these.  M.  de  la  Salic  received  him 
with  much  politeness,  and  gave  him  some  presents;  they  gave  us, 
in  return,  plenty  of  provisions  and  some  of  their  robes.  The  chiefs 
returned  well  satisfied.  \\  e  stayed  during  the  day,  which  was  the 
'2'2d  of  March.  An  observation  gave  !U  ;  of  latitude.  We  left  on 
the  ~~<1.  and  slept  in  an  island  ten  leagues  oil'.  The  next  day  we 
saw  a  canoe,  and  M.  de  la  Salle  ordered  me  to  chase  it.  which  I  did, 
and  as  1  was  just  on  the  point  of  taking  it,  more  than  100  men  ap- 
peared mi  the  banks  of  the  river  to  defend  their  people.  -M.de  la  Salle 
shouted  out  to  me  to  come  back,  which  I  did.  \Ve  wont  on  and  en- 
camped opposite  them.  Afterwards,  M.  de  la  Salle  expressing  a 
wish  to  meet  them  peaceably,  1  oil'ered  to  carry  to  them  the  calumet, 
and  embarking,  went  to  them.  At  first  thev  joined  their  hands,  as  a 
sign  that  they  wished  to  be  friends;  J,  who  had  but  one  hand,  told 
our  men  to  do  the  same  thing. 

L  made  the  chief  men   among   them  ero-s  over  to  M.  de  la  Salle. 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  68 

who  accompanied  them  to  their  village,  three  leagues  inland,  and 
passed  the  night  there  with  some  of  his  men.  The  next  day  he 
returned  with  the  chief  of  the  village  where  he  had  slept,  who  was  a 
brother  of  the  great  chief  of  the  Natches  ;  he  conducted  us  to  his 
brother's  village,  situated  on  the  hill  side,  near  the  river,  at  six 
leagues'  distance.  We  were  well  received  there.  This  nation  counts 
more  than  300  warriors.  Here  the  men  cultivate  the  ground,  hunt, 
and  fish,  as  well  as  the  Taencas.  and  their  manners  are  the  same. 
We  departed  thence  on  Good  Friday,  and  after  a  voyage  of  20 
leagues,  encamped  at  the  mouth  of  a  large  river,  which  runs  from 
the  west.  We  continued  our  journey,  and  crossed  a  great  canal, 
which  went  towards  the  sea  on  the  right.  Thirty  leagues  further  on 
we  saw  some  fishermen  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  sent  to  recon- 
noitre them.  It  was  the  village  of  the  Quinipissas,  who  let  fly  their 
arrows  upon  our  men,  who  retired  in  consequence.  As  M.  de  la 
Salle  would  not  fight  against  any  nation,  he  made  us  embark. 
Twelve  leagues  from  this  village,  on  the  left,  is  that  of  the  Tangibaos. 
Scarcely  eight  days  before  this  village  had  been  totally  destroyed. 
Dead  bodies  were  lying  on  one  another,  and  the  cabins  were  burnt. 
We  proceeded  on  our  course,  and  after  sailing  40  leagues,  arrived 
at  the  sea  on  the  7th  of  April,  IGS2. 

M.  de  la  Salle  sent  canoes  to  inspect  the  channels ;  some  of  them 
went  to  the  channel  on  the  right  hand,  some  to  the  left,  and  :M.  de  la 
Salle  chose  the  centre.  In  the  evening  each  made  his  report,  that 
is  to  say,  that  the  channels  were  very  fine,  wide,  and  deep.  We 
encamped  on  the  right  bank,  we  erected  the  arms  of  the  King,  and 
returned  several  times  to  inspect  the  channels.  The  same  report 
was  made.  This  river  is  800  leagues  long,  without  rapids,  400  from  the 
country  of  the  Scioux,  and  400  from  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river 
to  the  sea.  The  banks  are  almost  uninhabitable,  on  account  of  the 
spring  floods.  The  woods  are  all  those  of  a  boggy  district,  the 
country  one  of  canes  and  briars  and  of  trees  torn  up  by  the  roots  • 
but  a  league  or  two  from  the  river,  the  most  beautiful  country  in  the 
world,  prairies,  woods  of  mulberry  trees,  vines,  and  fruits  that  we 
were  not  acquainted  with.  The  savages  gather  the  Indian  corn 
twice  in  the  year.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  river,  which  might  be 
settled,  the  river  makes  a  bend  N.  and  S.,  and  in  many  places  every 
now  and  then  is  joined  by  streams  on  the  right  and  left.  The  river 
is  only  navigable  [for  large  vessels  ?]  as  far  as  the  village  of  the 
Natches,  for  above  that  place  the  river  winds  too  much  ;  but  this 
does  not  prevent  the  navigation  of  the  river  from  the  confluence  of 


04  HISTORICAL    COLLECTION'S    OF    LOUISIANA. 

the  Ouabache  and  the  Mississippi  as  far  as  tlie  sea.  There  are  but 
few  beavers,  but  to  make  amends,  there  is  a  large  number  of  buffa- 
loes, bears,  large  wolves — stags  and  hinds  in  abundance — and  some 
lead  mines,  which  yield  two-thirds  of  ore  to  one  of  refuse.  As  these 
savages  arc  stationary  [sedentaires],  and  have  some  habits  of  subor- 
dination, they  might  be  obliged  to  make  silk  in  order  to  procure 
necessaries  for  themselves  ;  bringing  to  them  from  France  the  eggs 
of  silkworms,  for  the  forests  arc  full  of  mulberry-trees.  This  would 
be  a  valuable  trade. 

As  for  the  country  of  Illinois,  the  river  runs  100  leagues  from  the 
Fort  St.  Louis,  to  where  it  falls  into  the  Mississippi.  Thus  it  may 
be  said  to  contain  some  of  the  finest  lands  ever  seen.  The  climate 
is  the  same  as  that  of  Paris,  though  in  the  40°  of  latitude.  The 
savages  there  are  active  and  brave,  but  extremely  lazy,  except  in 
war,  when  they  think  nothing  of  seeking  their  enemies  at  a  distance 
of  500  or  GOO  leagues  from  their  own  country.  This  constantly 
occurs  in  the  country  of  the  Iroquois,  whom,  at  my  instigation,  they 
continually  harass.  Not  a  year  passes  in  which  they  do  not  take  a 
number  of  prisoners  and  scalps.  A  few  pieces  of  pure  copper,  whose 
origin  we  have,  not  sought,  are  found  in  the  river  of  the  Illinois 
country.  Polygamy  prevails  in  this  nation,  and  is  one  of  the  great 
hindrances  to  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  as  well  as  the  fact  of 
their  having  no  form  of  worship  of  their  own.  The  nations  lower 
down  would  be  more  easily  converted,  because  they  adore  the  sun, 
which  is  their  divinity.  This  is  all  that  I  am  able  to  relate  of  those 
parts. 

Let  us  return  to  the  sea  coast,  where,  provisions  failing,  we  were 
obliged  to  leave  it  sooner  than  we  wished,  in  order  to  obtain  nrovi- 

o  I 

sions  in  the  neighboring  villages.  We  did  not  know  how  to  get 
an}  thing  from  the  village  of  the  Quinipissas,  who  had  so  ill  received 
us  as  we  went  down  the  river.  We  lived  on  potatoes  until  six 
leagues  from  their  village,  when  we  saw  smoke.  M.  de  la  Salle 
sent  to  reconnoitre  at  night.  Our  people  reported  that  they  had  seen 
some  women.  We  went  on  at  day-break,  and  taking  lour  of  the 
women,  encamped  on  the  opposite  bank".  One  of  the  women  was 
then  sent  with  merchandise  to  prove  that  we  had  no  evil  design  and 
wished  for  their  alliance  and  for  provisions.  She  made  her  report. 
Some  of  them  came  immediately  and  invited  us  to  encamp  on  the 
other  bank,  which  we  did.  We  sent  hack  the  three  other  women, 
keeping,  however,  con-tant  guard.  They  brought  us  some  provi- 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  65 

sions  in  the  evening,  and  the  next  morning,  at  day-break,  the  scoun- 
drels attacked  us. 

We  vigorously   repulsed   them,   and   by  ten  o'clock  burnt  their 
canoes,  and,  but  for  the   fear  of  our  ammunition  failing,  we  should 
have  attacked  their  village.      We  left  in  the  evening   in  order  to 
reach  Natches,  where  we  had  left  a  quantity  of  grain  on  passing 
down.     When  we  arrived  there  the  chief  came  out  to  meet  us.     M. 
de  la  Salle  made  them  a  present  of  the  scalps  we  had  taken  from  the 
Quinipissas.     They  had  already  heard  the  news,  for  they  had  re- 
solved to  betray  and  kill   us.     We  went  up  to  their  village,  and  as 
we  saw  no  women  there,  we  had  no  doubt  of  their  having  some  evil 
design.     In  a  moment  we  were  surrounded   by  1,500  men.     They 
brought  us  something  to  eat,  and  we  ate  with  our  guns  in  our  hands. 
As  they  were  afraid  of  fire-arms,  they  did  not  dare  to  attack  us.     The 
chief  begged  M.  de  la  Salle  to  go  away,  as  his  young  men  had  not 
much  sense,  which  we  very  willingly  did — the  game  not  being  equal, 
we  having  only  fifty  men,  French  and  savages.     We  then  went  on 
to  the  Taencas.  and  then  to  the  Arkansas,  where  we  were  very  well 
received.     From  thence  we  came  to  Fort  Prudhomme,  where  M.  de 
la  Salle  fell  dangerously  ill,  which  obliged  him  to  send  me  forward, 
on  the  Gth  of  May,  to  arrange  his  affairs  at  Missilimakinac.     In  pass- 
ing near  the  Ouabache,  I  found  four  Iroquois,  who  told  us  that  there 
were  100  men  of  their  nation  coming  on  after  them.     This  gave  us 
some  alarm.     There   is   no  pleasure  in  meeting  warriors  on  one's 
road,  especially  when  they  have  been  unsuccessful.     I  left  them,  and 
at  about  twenty  leagues  from  Tamaraas  we  saw  smoke.     I  ordered 
our  people  to  prepare  their  arms,  and  we  resolved  to  advance,  ex- 
pecting to  meet  the  Iroquois.     When  we  were  near  the  smoke,  we 
saw   some  canoes,  which   made   us  think  that  they  could  only  be 
Illinois  or  Tamaraas.     They  were   in   fact  the  latter.     As  soon  as 
they  saw  us.  they  came  out  of  the  wood  in  great  numbers  to  attack 
us.  taking  us  for  Iroquois.     I  presented  the  calumet  to  them — they 
put  clown  their  arms,  and  conducted  us  to  their  village  without  doing 
us  any  harm.     The  chiefs   held   a  council,  and.   taking  us  for  Iro- 
quois, resolved  to  burn  us  ;   and.  but  for  some  Illinois  among  us,  we 
should  have  fared  ill.     They  let  us  proceed.      We  arrived  about  the 
end  of  June.  168:3  (1682),  at  the  River  Chicagou,  and,  by  the  middle 
of  July,   at    Michilimakinac.     M.   de   la   Salle,   having   recovered, 
joined  us  in  September.     Resolving  to  go  to  France,  he  ordered  me 
to  collect   together  the    French  who  were  on  the  River  Miamis  to 
construct  the  Fort   of  St.  Louis  in  the    Illinois.       I   left   with  this 

G 


66  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

design,  and  when  I  arrived  at  the  place,  M.  de  la  Salle,  having 
changed  his  mind,  joined  me.  They  set  to  work  at  the  fort,  and  it 
was  finished  in  March,  1683.* 

During  the  winter  I  gave  all  the  nations  notice  of  what  we  had 
done  to  defend  them  from  the  Jroquois,  through  whom  they  had  lost 
700  people  in  previous  years.  They  approved  of  our  good  inten- 
tions, and  established  themselves,  to  the  number  of  300  cabins,  near 
the  Fort  Illinois,  as  well  Miamis  as  Chawanons. 

M.  de  la  Salle  departed  for  France  in  the  month  of  September, 
leaving  me  to  command  the  fort.  He  met  on  his  way  the  Chevalier 
de  Bogis,  whom  M.  de  la  Barre  had  sent  with  letters,  ordering  M. 
de  la  Salle  to  Quebec,  who  had  no  trouble  in  making  the  journey,  as 
he  was  met  with  on  the  road.  M.  de  la  Salle  wrote  to  me  to  receive 
M.  de  Bogis  well,  which  I  did.  The  winter  passed,  and  on  the  20th 
of  March,  1684,  being  informed  that  the  Iroquois  were  about  to 
attack  us,  we  prepared  to  receive  them,  and  dispatched  a  canoe  to 
M.  de  la  Durantaye,  Governor  of  Missilimakinac,  for  assistance,  in 
case  the  enemy  should  hold  out  against  us  a  long  time.  The  savages 
appeared  on  the  21st,  and  we  repulsed  them  with  loss.  After  six 
days'  siege  they  retired  with  some  slaves  which  they  had  made  in 
the  neighborhood,  who  afterwards  escaped  and  came  back  to  the 
fort. 

M.  de  la  Durantaye,  with  Father  Daloy,  a  Jesuit,  arrived  at  the 
Fort  with  about  sixty  Frenchmen,  whom  they  brought  to  our  assist- 
ance, and  to  inform  me  of  the  orders  of  M.  de  la  Barre,  to  leave  the 
place.  They  stated  that  M.  de  Bogis  was  in  possession  of  a  place 
belonging  to  M.  de  la  Foret,  who  had  accompanied  M.  de  la  Salle  to 
France,  and  had  returned  by  order  of  M.  de  la  Salle  with  a  laltrc  de 
cachet.  M.  de  la  Barre  was  directed  to  deliver  up  to  M.  de  la  Foret 
the  lands  belonging  to  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  and  which  were 
occupied  by  others  to  his  prejudice.  lie  brought  me  news  that  M. 
de  la  Salic  was  sailing  by  way  of  the  islands  to  find  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  had  at  court  obtained  a  company  for  me.  lie 
sent  me  orders  to  command  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  as  Captain  of  Foot  and 
Governor.  We  took  measures  together,  and  formed  a  company  of 
twenty  men  to  maintain  the  Fort.  M.  de  hi  Fort'-t  went  away  in  the 
autumn,  for  Fort  Frontenac,  and  I  began  my  journey  to  Illinois. 
Being  stopped  by  the  ice,  I  was  obliged  to  halt  at  Montreal,  where  I 
passed  the  winter.  When  M.  de  la  Foret  arrived  there  in  the  spring, 

*  Tliis  date  is  no  douht  correct,  for  there  id  a  letter  of  La  Salle's  in  existence, 
dated  at  Kort  St.  Louis,  Apiil  :>,  1C-SJ. 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  67 

we  took  new  measures — he  returned  to  Frontenac,  and  I  went  on  to 
the  Illinois,  where  I  arrived  in  June  (1665).  M.  le  Chevalier  de 
Bogis  retired  from  his  command,  according  to  the  orders  that  I  brought 
him  from  M.  de  la  Barre. 

The  Miamis  having  seriously  defeated  the  Illinois,  it  cost  us  1,000 
dollars  to  reconcile  these  two  nations,  which  I  did  not  accomplish 
without  great  trouble.  In  the  autumn  I  embarked  for  Missilimaki- 
nac,  in  order  to  obtain  news  of  M.  de  la  Salle.  I  heard  there  that 
Monseigneur  de  Denonville  had  succeeded  M.  de  la  Barre  ;  and  by 
a  letter  which  he  did  me  the  honor  to  write  to  me,  he  expressed  his 
wish  to  see  me,  that  we  might  take  measures  for  a  war  against  the 
Iroquois,  and  informed  me  that  M.  de  la  Salle  was  engaged  in  seek- 
ing the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Upon  hear- 
ing this  I  resolved  to  go  in  search  of  him  with  a  number  of  Canadians, 
and  as  soon  as  I  should  have  found  him,  to  return  back  to  execute 
the  orders  of  M.  de  Denonville. 

I  embarked,  therefore,  for  the  Illinois,  on  St.  Andrew's  Day  (30th 
of  October,  1685);  but  being  stopped  by  the  ice,  I  was  obliged  to 
leave  my  canoe  and  to  proceed  on  by  land.  After  going  120  leagues, 
I  arrived  at  the  Fort  of  Chicagou,  where  M.  de  la  Durantaye  com- 
manded ;  and  from  thence  I  came  to  Fort  St.  Louis,  where  I  arrived 
in  the  middle  of  January,  1685  (1686).  I  departed  thence  on  the 
16th  February,  with  thirty  Frenchmen,  and  five  Illinois  and  Cha- 
wanons,  for  the  sea.  which  I  reached  in  Holy  Week.  After  having 
passed  the  above-named  nations,  I  was  very  well  received.  I  sent 
out  two  canoes,  one  towards  the  coast  of  Mexico,  and  the  other 
towards  Carolina,  to  see  if  they  could  discover  anything.  They 
each  sailed  about  thirty  leagues,  but  proceeded  no  farther  for  want 
of  fresh  water.  They  reported  that  where  they  had  been  the  land 
began  to  rise.  They  brought  me  a  porpoise  and  some  oysters.  As 
it  would  take  us  five  months  to  reach  the  French  settlements,  I  pro- 
posed to  my  men,  that  if  they  would  trust  to  me  to  follow  the  coast. 
as  far  as  Manhatte,*  that  by  this  means  we  should  arrive  shortly  at 
Montreal ;  that  we  should  not  lose  our  time,  because  we  might 
discover  some  fine  country,  and  might  even  take  some  booty  on  our 
Avay.  Part  of  my  men  were  willing  to  adopt  my  plan  ;  but  as  the 
rest  were  opposed  to  it,  I  decided  to  return  the  way  I  came. 

*  That  all  the  Patroons  of  colonies  in  New  Netherlands,  and  of  colonies  on 
the  Island  of  Manhatte,  shall  be  at  liberty  to  sail  and  traffic  all  along  the  coast 
from  Florida  to  Terra  Neuf,  &c.—  Charter  of  Liberties,  1629. 


68  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

The  tide  does  not  rise  more  than  two  feet  perpendicularly  on  the 
sea  coast,  and  the  land  is  very  low  at  the  entrance  of  the  river.  \\e 
encamped  in  the  place  where  M.  de  la  Salle  had  erected  the  arms  of 
the  King.  As  they  had  been  thrown  down  by  the  floods,  I  took  them 
five  leagues  further  up,  and  placed  them  in  a  higher  situation.  J  put 
a  silver  ecu  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree  to  serve  as  a  mark  of  time  and 
place.  We  left  this  place  on  Easier  Monday.  When  we  came  op- 
posite the  Quinipissas  Village,*  the  chiefs  brought  me  the  calumet, 
and  declared  the  sorrow  they  felt  at  the  treachery  they  had  perpe- 
trated against  me  on  our  first  voyage.  I  made  an  alliance  with 
them.  Forty  leagues  higher  up,  on  the  right,  we  discovered  a  village 
inland,  with  the  inhabitants  of  which  we  also  made  an  alliance. 
These  are  the  Oumas,  the  bravest  savages  of  the  river.  When  we 
were  at  Arkansas,  ten  of  the  Frenchmen  who  accompanied  me  asked 
for  a  settlement  on  the  River  Arkansas,  on  a  seignory  that  M.  de  la 
Salle  had  given  me  on  our  first  voyage.  1  granted  the  request  to 
some  of  them.  They  remained  there  to  build  a  house  surrounded 
with  stakes.  The  rest  accompanied  me  to  Illinois,  in  order  to  get 
what  they  wanted.  I  arrived  there  on  St.  John's  Day  (24th  of  June). 
I  made  two  chiefs  of  the  Illinois  embark  with  me  in  my  canoe,  to  go 
and  receive  the  orders  of  M.  de  Denonville,  and  we  arrived  at  Mon- 
treal by  the  end  of  July. 

I  left  that  place  at  the  beginning  of  October  to  return  to  the  Illi- 
nois. I  came  there  on  the  lUth  of  October,  and  I  directly  sent  some 
Frenchmen  to  our  savage  allies  to  declare  war  against  the  Iroquois, 
inviting  them  to  assemble  at  the  Fort  of  Bonhomme,  which  they  did 
in  the  month  of  April,  108(5  (1(587).  The  Sieur  de  la  Foivt  was 
already  gone  in  a  canoe  with  tf()  Frenchmen,  and  he  was  to  wait  for 
me  at  Detroit  till  the  end  of  May.  1  gave  our  savages  a  dog  feast  (  /r.v///? 
dc  cliicii)  :  and  after  having  declared  to  them  the  will  of  the  King  and 
of  the  Governor,  I  left  with  Hi  Frenchmen  and  a  guide  for  the  .Miami 
nation.  We  encamped  half  a  league  from  the  Fort,  to  wait  for  the 
savages  who  might  wish  to  follow  us.  I  left  '20  Frenchmen  at  the 

*  It  wa-,  at  this  village  (also  called  Hay, i-oulis'),  that  Ibbemlle.  fourteen 
years  after,  found  the  follow  in*;  letter  from  Tonty  to  La  Salle,  dated  -jotli  .April, 
loS">,  which  the  Indian  chiefs  had  carefully  pro-rvcd  :  —  '•  Sir,  having  found  the 
column  nn  which  you  had  placed  the  arms  of  France  thrown  down,  1  caused  a 
new  one  to  he  erected,  about  seven  leagues  from  the  sea.  All  the  nations  have 
sun.:  the  ralinne!.  These  people  fear  us  extremely  ,  since  your  attack  upon  their 
vi  I'm  i;e.  I  close  by  s-iyinir  that  it  irives  nie  great  uneasiness  to  be  obliged  to  re- 
turn under  the  misfortune  of  not  having  found  vou.  Two  canoes  have  examined 
the  c  •;K\  thirty  leagues  towards  Mexico,  and  twentv-live  towards  Florida." 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  o'J 

Fort,  and  the  Sieur  de  Bellefontaine  to  command  there  during  my  ab- 
sence. Fifty  Chaganons,  four  Loups,  and  seven  Miamis  came  to  join 
me  at  night;  and  the  next  day  more  than  300  Illinois  came,  but  they 
went  back  again,  with  the  exception  of  149.  This  did  not  prevent 
my  continuing  my  route;  and  after  200  leagues  of  journey  by  land, 
we  came,  on  the  19th  of  May,  to  Fort  Detroit.  We  made  some  ca- 
noes of  elm,  and  I  sent  one  of  them  to  Fort  St.  Joseph  on  the  high 
ground  above  Detroit,  30  leagues  from  where  we  were,  to  give  the 
Sieur  Dulud,  the  Commander  of  this  Fort,  information  of  my  arrival. 
The  Sieur  Beauvais  de  Tilly  joined  me,  and  afterwards  the  Sieur  de 
la  Foret ;  then  the  Sieurs  de  la  Durantaye  and  Dulud.  I  made  the 
French  and  the  savages  coast  along  the  bay.  After  Le  Sieur  Du- 
rantaye had  saluted  us,  we  returned  the  salute.  They  had  with 
them  30  English,  whom  they  had  taken  on  the  Lake  Huron,  at  the 
place  at  which  they  had  reached  it.  We  made  canoes  on  our  jour- 
ney, and  coasted  along  Lake  Erie  to  Niagara,  where  we  made  a  fort 
below  the  portage  to  wait  there  for  news.  On  our  way  we  took  30 
more  Englishmen,  who  were  going  to  Missilimakinac,  commanded  by 
Major  Gregory,  who  was  bringing  back  some  Huron  and  Outawas 
slaves,  taken  by  the  Iroquois.  Had  it  not  been  for  these  two  moves 
of  good  luck  our  affairs  would  have  turned  out  badly,  as  we  were  at 
war  with  the  Iroquois.  The  English,  from  the  great  quantity  of 
brandy  which  they  had  with  them,  would  have  gained  over  our  allies, 
and  thus  we  should  have  had  all  the  savages  and  the  English  upon 
us  at  once. 

I  sent  the  Sieur  de  la  Foret  forward  to  inform  M.  de  Denonville  of 
everything.  He  was  at  the  Fort  of  Frontenac,  and  he  joined  us  at 
Fort  Les  Sables.  The  large  boat  arrived  and  brought  us  provisions. 
M.  le  Monseigneur  sent  us  word  by  it  that  he  expected  to  arrive  by 
the  10th  of  July  at  the  Marsh,  which  is  seven  leagues  from  Sonnon- 
touans. 

The  Poutouatamis,  Hourons,  and  Ottowas,  joined  us  there,  and  built 
some  canoes.  There  was  an  Iroquois  slave  among  them  whom  I  pro- 
posed to  have  put  to  death  for  the  insolent  manner  in  which  he  spoke 
of  the  French.  They  paid  no  attention  to  my  proposal.  Five  leagues 
on  our  march  he  ran  away  and  gave  information  of  our  approach; 
and  of  the  marks  which  our  savages  bore  to  recognize  each  other, 
which  did  us  great  harm  in  the  ambuscade,  as  will  be  seen. 

On  the  10th  we  arrived  at  the  Marsh  of  Fort  Les  Sables,  and  the 
army  from  below  arrived  at  the  same  time.  I  received  orders  to  take 
possession  of  a  certain  position,  which  I  did  with  my  company  and 


70  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OP    LOUISIANA. 

savages.  We  then  set  about  building  a  fort.  On  the  llth  I  went 
with  50  men  to  reconnoitre  the  road,  three  miles  from  the  camp.  On 
the  12th  the  Fort  was  finished,  and  we  set  off  for  the  village.  On 
the  13th,  half  a  league  from  the  prairie  (descrls),  we  found  an  am- 
buscade, and  my  company,  who  were  the  advance  guard,  forced  it. 
We  lost  seven  men,  of  whom  my  lieutenant  was  one,  and  two  of  my 
own  people.  We  were  occupied  for  seven  days  in  cutting  the  corn 
of  the  four  villages.  We  returned  to  Fort  Les  Sables,  and  left  it  to 
build  a  fort  at  Niagara.  From  thence  I  returned  to  Fort  St.  Louis 
with  my  cousin,  the  Sieur  Dulud,  who  returned  to  his  post  with  18 
soldiers  and  some  savages.  Having  made  half  the  portage,  which  is 
two  leagues  in  length,  some  Ilourons  who  followed  us  perceived  some 
Iroquois,  and  ran  to  give  us  warning.  There  were  only  40  of  us, 
and  as  we  thought  the  enemy  strong,  we  agreed  to  fall  back  with  our 
ammunition  towards  the  Fort,  and  get  a  reinforcement.  We  inarched 
all  night,  and  as  the  Sieur  Dulud  could  not  leave  his  detachment,  he 
begged  me  to  go  to  the  Marquis,  while  he  lay  in  ambush  in  a  very 
good  position.  I  embarked,  and  when  I  came  to  the  Fort,  the  Mar- 
quis was  unwilling  to  give  me  any  men,  the  more  so  as  the  militia 
was  gone  away,  and  he  had  only  some  infantry  remaining  to  escort 
him  ;  however,  he  sent  Captain  Valiennes  and  50  men  to  support  us, 
who  stayed  at  the  portage  whilst  we  crossed  it.  We  embarked,  and 
when  clear  of  the  land  we  perceived  the  Iroquois  on  the  banks  of  the 
lake.  We  passed  over,  and  I  left  the  Sieur  J)ulud  at  his  post  at  De- 
troit. I  went  in  company  with  the  Reverend  Father  Crevier  as  far 
as  Missilimakinac,  and  afterwards  to  Fort  St.  Louis. 

There  I  found  M.  Cavelier,  a  priest,  his  nephew,  and  the  Father 
Anastatius,  a  Recollet,  and  two  men.  They  concealed  from  me  the 
assassination  of  M.  de  la  Salle  :  and  upon  their  assuring  me  that  he 
was  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  in  good  health,  I  received  them  as  if  they 
had  been  M.  de  la  Salle  himself,  and  lent  them  more  than  TOO  francs 
(U8/.).  M.  Cavelier  departed  in  the  spring,  1087  (KiSS),  to  give  an 
account  of  his  voyage  at  court. 

M.  de  la  Furet  came  here  in  the  autumn,  and  went  away  in  the 
following  spring.  On  the  7th  of  April,  one  named  Coutoure  brought 
to  me  two  Akansas,  who  danced  the  calumet.  They  informed  me 
of  the  death  of  M.  de  la  Salle,  with  all  the  circumstances  which  they 
had  heard  from  the  lips  of  M.  Cavelier,  who  had  fortunately  dis- 
covered the  house  I  had  built  at  Arkansas,  where  the  said  Cou- 
toure staved  with  three  Frenchmen.  He  told  me  that  the  fear  of  not 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  71 

obtaining  from  me  what  he  desired  had  made  him  conceal  the  death 
of  his  brother,  but  that  he  had  told  them  of  it. 

M.  Cavelier  told  me  that  the  Cadadoquis  had  proposed  to  accom- 
pany him  if  he  would  go  and  fight  against  the  Spaniards.  He  had 
objected,  on  account  of  there  being  only  14  Frenchmen.  They  re- 
plied that  their  nation  was  numerous,  that  they  only  wanted  a  few 
musqueteers,  and  that  the  Spaniards  had  much  money,  which  they 
(the  French)  should  take  ;  and  as  for  themselves,  they  only  wished 
to  keep  the  women  and  children  as  slaves.  Coutoure  told  me  that  a 
young  man  whom  M.  Cavelier  had  left  at  Arkansas  had  assured 
him  that  this  was  very  true.  I  would  not  undertake  anything  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  Governor  of  Canada.  I  sent  the  said  Coutoure 
to  the  French  remaining  in  Nicondiche,  to  get  all  the  information  he 
could.  He  set  off,  and  at  100  leagues  from  the  Fort  was  wrecked, 
and  having  lost  everything  returned. 

In  the  interval,  M.  de  Denonville  directed  me  to  let  the  savages  do 
as  they  liked,  and  to  do  nothing  against  the  Iroquois.  He  at  the 
same  time  informed  me  that  war  was  declared  against  Spain.  Upon 
this  I  came  to  the  resolution  of  going  to  Naodiche,  to  execute  what 
M.  Chevalier  had  ventured  to  undertake,  and  to  bring  back  M.  de 
la  Salle's  men,  who  were  on  the  sea  coast  not  knowing  of  the  misfor- 
tune that  had  befallen  him.  I  set  off  on  the  3d  of  October,  and 
joined  my  cousin,  who  was  gone  on  before,  and  who  was  to  accom- 
pany me,  as  he  expected  that  M.  de  la  Foret  would  come  and  take 
the  command  in  my  absence  ;  but  as  lie  did  not  come,  I  sent  my 
cousin  back  to  command  the  Fort. 

I  bought  a  larger  boat  than  my  own.  We  embarked  five  French- 
men, one  Chaganon,  and  two  slaves.  We  arrived  on  the  17th  at  an 
Illinois  village  at  the  mouth  of  their  river.  They  had  just  come 
from  fighting  the  Osages,  and  had  lost  13  men,  but  brought  back  130 
prisoners.  We  reached  the  village  of  the  Kappas  on  the  16th  of 
January,  where  we  were  received  with  demonstrations  of  joy,  and 
for  four  days  there  was  nothing  but  dancing,  feasting,  and  mas- 
querading after  their  manner.  They  danced  tlie  calumet  for  me, 
which  confirmed  the  last  alliance.  On  the  2()th  of  January  we 
came  to  Tongenga,  and  they  wished  to  entertain  us  as  the  Kappas 
had  done  ;  but  being  in  haste,  I  deferred  it  until  another  time.  I  did 
the  same  with  the  Torremans,  on  my  arrival  on  the  22d.  Leaving 
my  crew  I  set  off  the  next  day  for  Assotoue,  where  my  commercial 
house  is.  These  savages  had  not  yet  seen  me,  as  they  lived  on  a 
branch  of  the  river  coming  from  the  west.  They  did  their  best, 


72  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

giving  me  two  women  of  the  Cadadoquis  nation,  to  whom  I  was 
going.  I  returned  to  Torremans  on  the  2Gth,  and  bought  there  two 
boats.  We  went  away  on  the  27th.  On  the  29th,  finding  one  of 
our  men  asleep  when  on  duty  as  sentinel,  I  reprimanded  him,  and  he 
left  rne.  I  sent  two  of  my  people  to  Coroa,  to  spare  myself  the  fa- 
tigue of  dragging  on  with  our  crew  six  leagues  inland.  The  French- 
man, with  whom  I  had  quarrelled,  made  with  them  a  third.  We 
slept  opposite  the  rivers  of  the  Taencas,  which  run  from  Arkansas. 
They  came  there  on  the  2d,  this  being  the  place  of  meeting.  My 
Chagenou  went  out  hunting  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  where  he 
was  attacked  by  three  Chacoumas.  lie  killed  one  of  them,  and  was 
slightly  wounded  by  an  arrow  on  the  left  breast. 

On  the   4th   the  rest  of  the   party  arrived.     On   the   5th,  being 
opposite  Taencas,  the  men  whom  I  had  sent  to  Coroa  not  having 
brought  any  news  of  the  two  Frenchmen  whom  I  was  anxious  about, 
I  sent  them  to  Natches.      They  found  that  this  nation  had  killed  the 
two  men.      They  retired  as  well  as  they  could,  making  the  savages 
believe  that  we  were  numerous.     They  arrived  on  the  8th  of  Feb- 
ruary.     We  set  offon  the  12th  with  12  Taencas,  and  after  a  voyage 
of  twelve  leagues  to  the  N.W.,  we  left  our  boat  and  made  twenty 
leagues  portage,  and  on  the  17th  of  February,  1G90,  came  to  Xachi- 
toches.      They  made   us  stay  at  the  place,  which  is  in   the   midst  of 
the  three  villages  called  Xaehitoches,  Ouasita,  and  Capiche.     The 
chiefs  of  the  three    nations   assembled,    and    before    thov  began    to 
speak,  the  30  Taencas  who  were  with  me  got  up,  and  leaving  their 
arms  went  to  the  temple,  to  show  how  .sincerely  they  wished  to  make 
a  solid   peace.      After  having  taken  their  Mod  to  witness,  they  asked 
for  friendship.      I  made  them  some  presents  in  the  name  of  the  Taen- 
cas.     They  remained   some  days  in  the  village  to  traffic  with  salt, 
which  these  nations  got  from  a  salt  hike  in  the  neighborhood.     After 
their  departure  they  gave  me  guides  to  Vataches  ;   and  after  ascend- 
ing the   river  always  towards   the   X.\V.   about   thirty  leagues,   we 
found  fifteen  cabins  of  Xak-Iies.  who   received  us  pretty  well.      We 
arrived,  on  the  16th  oi' March,  at  Vataches.  about  forty  leagues  from 
thence.      The  three  villages  of  ^  alaclu's,  Nadus,  and  Choye,  are  to- 
n-ether.     As   they  knew  of  our  arrival,  thev  came   three   leayucs  to 
meet  us  with   refreshments,  and  on   joining  us  we  went  together  to 
their  villages.     The  child'  made   many   feasts  for   us.      I  gave  pre- 
sents to  them,  and   asked  for  guides  to  the  Cadadoquis.      They  were 
very  unwilling  tn  give  us  any,  as  they  had  murdered  three  ambassa- 
dors about  four  days  before,  \vhu  came  to  their  nation  to  make  peace. 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTV.  73 

However,  by  dint  of  entreaties,  and  assuring  them  that  no  harm 
would  happen  to  their  people,  they  granted  me  five  men,  and  we  got 
to  Cadadoquis  on  the  28th.  At  the  place  where  we  were  encamped 
we  discovered  the  trail  of  men  and  horses.  The  next  day  some 
horsemen  came  to  reconnoitre  us,  and  after  speaking  to  the  wife  of 
the  chief  whom  I  brought  back  with  me,  carried  back  the  news. 
The  next  day  a  woman,  who  governed  this  nation,  came  to  visit  me,  j 
with  the  principal  persons  of  the  village.  She  wept  over  me,  de-  I 
manding  revenge  for  the  death  of  her  husband,  and  of  the  husband 
of  the  woman  whom  I  was  bringing  back,  both  of  whom  had  been 
killed  by  the  Osages. .  To  take  advantage  of  everything  I  promised 
that  their  dead  should  be  avenged.  We  went  together  to  their 
temple,  and  after  the  priests  had  invoked  their  God  for  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  they  conducted  me  to  the  cabin  of  their  chief.  Before  en- 
tering they  washed  my  face  with  water,  which  is  a  ceremony  among 
them.  During  the  time  I  was  there,  I  learnt  from  them  that  eighty 
leagues  off  were  the  seven  Frenchmen  whom  M.  Cavelier  had  left. 
I  hoped  to  finish  my  troubles  by  rejoining  them,  but  the  Frenchmen 
who  accompanied  me,  tired  of  the  voyage,  would  go  no  further. 
They  were  unmanageable  persons,  over  whom  I  could  exercise  no 
authority  in  this  distant  country.  I  was  obliged  to  give  way.  All 
that  I  could  do  was  to  engage  one  of  them,  with  a  savage,  to  accom- 
pany me  to  the  village  of  Xaovediche,  where  I  hoped  to  find  the 
seven  Frenchmen.  I  told  those  who  abandoned  me,  that  to  prevent 
the  savages  knowing  this,  it  was  best  to  say  that  I  had  sent  them 
away  to  carry  back  the  news  of  my  arrival,  so  that  the  savages 
should  not  suspect  our  disunion. 

The  Cadadoquis  are  united  with  two  other  villages  called  Natchi- 
toches  and  Nasoui.  situated  on  the  Red  River.  All  the  nations  of 
this  tribe  speak  the  same  language.  Their  cabins  are  covered  with 
straw,  and  they  are  not  united  in  villages,  but  their  huts  are  distant 
one  from  the  other.  Their  fields  are  beautiful.  They  fish  and 
hunt.  There  is  plenty  of  game,  but  few  cattle  (bccufs).  They 
wage  cruel  war  with  each  other — hence  their  villages  are  but 
thinly  populated.  I  never  found  that  they  did  any  work,  except 
making  very  fine  bows,  which  they  make  a  traffic  with  distant  na- 
tions. The  Cadadoquis  possess  about  thirty  horses,  which  they  call 
•'•  cavali"  (sp  :  caballo.  a  horse).  The  men  and  women  are  tattooed 
in  the  face,  and  all  over  the  body.  They  call  this  river  the  Red 
River,  because,  in  fact,  it  deposits  a  sand  which  makes  the  water  as 


74  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

red  as  blood.     I  am  not  acquainted  with  their  manners,  having  only 
seen  them  in  passing. 

I  left  this  place  on  the  6th  of  April,  directing  our  route  southwards, 
with  a  Frenchman,  a  Chaganon,  a  little  slave  of  mine,  and  five  of 
their  savages,  whom  they  gave  me  as  guides  to  Naouadiche.  When 
I  went  away,  I  left  in  the  hands  of  the  wife  of  the  chief  a  small  box, 
in  which  I  had  put  some  ammunition.  On  our  road  we  found  some 
^Naouadiches  savages  hunting,  who  assured  me  that  the  Frenchmen 
were  staying  with  them.  This  gave  me  great  pleasure,  hoping  to 
succeed  in  my  object  of  finding  them.  On  the  19th  the  Frenchman 
with  me  lost  himself.  I  sent  the  savages  who  were  with  me  to  look 
for  him.  He  came  back  on  the  21st,  and  told  me  that,  having  lost 
our  trail,  he  was  near  drowning  himself  in  crossing  a  little  river  on 
a  piece  of  timber.  His  bag  slipped  oil,  and  thus  all  our  powder  was 
lost,  which  very  much  annoyed  me,  as  we  were  reduced  to  sixty 
pounds  of  ammunition.  On  the  23d  we  slept  half  a  league  from  the 
village,  and  the  chiefs  came  to  visit  us  at  night.  I  asked  them  about 
the  Frenchmen.  They  told  me  that  they  had  accompanied  their 
chiefs  to  tight  against  the  Spaniards  seven  days'  journey  oil";  that 
the  Spaniards  had  surrounded  them  with  their  cavalry,  and  that 
their  chief  having  spoken  in  their  favor,  the  Spaniards  had  given 
them  horses  and  arms.  Some  of  the  others  told  me  that  the 
Quanouatins  had  killed  three  of  them,  and  that  the  four  others  were 
gone  in  search  of  iron  arrow-heads  :  I  did  not  doubt  but  they  had 
murdered  them.  I  told  thorn  that  they  had  killed  the  Frenchmen. 
Directly  all  the  women  began  to  cry,  and  thus  I  saw  that  what  I  had 
said  was  true.  I  would  not.  therefore,  accept  the  calumet.  I  told 
the  chief  I  wanted  four  horses  for  my  return,  and  having  given  him 
seven  hatchets  and  a  string  of  large  glass  beads,  1  received  the  next 
day  four  Spanish  horses,  two  of  which  were  marked  on  the  haunch 
with  an  R  and  a  crown  (coi/ronnc  fermee),  and  another  with  an  N. 
Horses  are  very  common  among  them.  There  is  not  a  cabin  which 
has  not  four  or  five.  As  this  nation  is  sometimes  at  peace  and 
sometimes  at  war  with  the  neighboring  Spaniards,  they  take  advan- 
tage of  a  war  to  carry  of!'  the  horses.  We  harnessed  ours  as  well 
as  we  could,  and  departed  on  the  2!Hh,  greatly  vexed  thai  we  could 
not  continue  our  route  as  far  as  M.  do  la  Sallc's  camp.  \Vc  were 
unable  to  obtain  guides  from  this  nation  to  take  us  there,  though  not 
more  than  ei^htv  Ira-nies  off,  besides  beinir  without  ammunition, 

'  ,  O 

owing  to  the  accident  which  1  related  before. 

It  was  at  the  distance  of  three   days'  journey  from  hence  that  M, 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEUR    DE    TONTY.  75 

de  la  Salle  was  murdered.  I  will  say  a  few  words  of  what  I  have 
heard  of  this  misfortune.  M.  de  la  Salle  having  landed  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  on  the  side  of  Mexico,  about  80  leagues  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  and  losing  his  vessels  on  the  coast,  saved  a  part  of  the 
cargo,  and  began  to  march  along  the  sea-shore,  in  search  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. Meeting  with  many  obstacles  on  account  of  the  bad  roads, 
he  resolved  to  go  to  Illinois  by  land,  and  loaded  several  horses  with 
his  baggage.  The  Father  Anastatius,  M.  Cavelier,  a  priest,  his  bro- 
ther ;  M.  Cavelier,  his  nephew  ;  M.  Moranget,  a  relative  ;  MM.  Du- 
hault  and  Lanctot,  and  several  Frenchmen  accompanied  him,  with  a 
Chaganon  savage.  When  three  days'  journey  from  the  Naoudiche, 
and  short  of  provisions,  he  sent  Moranget,  his  servant,  and  the  Chaga- 
non, to  hunt  in  a  small  wood,  with  orders  to  return  in  the  evening. 
When  they  had  killed  some  buffaloes,  they  stopped  to  dry  the  meat. 
M.  de  la  Salle  was  uneasy,  and  asked  the  Frenchmen  who  among 
them  would  go  and  look  for  them.  Duhault  and  Lanctot  had  for  a 
long  time  determined  to  kill  M.  de  la  Salle,  because,  during  the 
journey  along  the  sea-coast,  he  had  compelled  the  brother  of  Lanc- 
tot, who  was  unable  to  keep  up,  to  return  to  the  camp  :  and  who 
when  returning  alone,  was  massacred  by  the  savages.  Lanctot 
vowed  to  God  that  he  would  never  forgive  his  brother's  death.  As 
in  long  journeys  there  are  always  discontented  persons,  he  easily 
found  partisans.  He  offered,  therefore,  with  them,  to  search  for  M. 
Moranget,  in  order  to  have  an  opportunity  to  execute  their  design. 
Having  found  the  men,  he  told  them  that  M.  de  la  Salle  was  uneasy 
about  them  ;  but  the  others  showing  that  they  could  not  set  off  till 
the  next  day,  it  was  agreed  to  sleep  there.  After  supper  they  ar- 
ranged the  order  of  the  watch.  It  was  to  begin  with  M.  de  Moran- 
get ;  after  him  was  to  follow  the  servant  of  M.  de  la  Salic,  and  then 
the  Chaganon.  After  they  had  kept  their  watch  and  were  asleep, 
they  wore  massacred,  as  persons  attached  to  M.  de  la  Salle.  At 
daybreak  they  heard  the  reports  of  pistols,  which  were  fired  as  sig- 
nals by  M.  de  la  Salle,  who  was  corning  with  the  Father  Recollet  in 
search  of  them.  The  wretches  laid  wait  for  him,  placing  M.  Duhault's 
servant  in  front.  When  M.  dc  la  Salle  came  near,  he  asked  where 
M.  Moranget  was.  The  servant,  keeping  on  his  hat,  answered,  that 
he  was  behind.  As  M.  de  la  Salle  advanced  to  remind  him  of  his 
duty,  he  received  three  balls  in  his  head,  and  fell  down  dead.  The 
Father  Recollet  was  frightened,  and,  thinking  that  he  also  \vas  to  be 
killed,  threw  himself  on  his  knees,  and  begged  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  to  prepare  his  soul.  They  replied  that  they  were  willing  to 


76  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

save  liis  life.  They  went  on  together  to  where  M.  Cavclier  was,  and, 
as  they  advanced,  shouted,  "  Down  with  your  arms."  M.  de  Cave- 
lior,  on  hearing  the  noise,  came  forward,  and  when  told  of  the  death 
of  his  brother,  threw  himself  on  his  knees,  making  the  same  request 
that  had  been  made  by  the  Father  llccollet.  They  granted  him  his 
life.  He  asked  to  go  and  bury  the  body  of  his  brother,  which  was 
refused.  Such  was  the  end  of  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  the  age. 
lie  was  a  man  of  wonderful  ability,  and  capable  of  undertaking  any 
discovery.  Mis  death  much  grieved  the  three  Naoudiches  whom  M. 
de  la  Salle  had  found  hunting,  and  who  accompanied  him  to  the  vil- 
lage. After  the  murderers  had  committed  this  crime,  they  seized  all 
the  baggage  of  the  deceased,  and  continued  their  journey  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Naoudiches,  where  they  found  two  Frenchmen  who  had  de- 

,  sorted  from  M.  do  la  Salle  two  years  before,  and  had  taken  up  their 

\abodc  with  these  savages. 

O 

After  staying  some  days  in  this  village,  the  savages  proposed  to 
them  to  go  to  war  against  the  Quanoouatinos,  to  which  the  French- 
men agreed,  lest  the  savages  should  ill-treat  them.  As  they  were 
ready  to  set  off,  an  English  buccaneer,  whom  M.  de  la  Salle  had 
always  liked,  begged  of  the  murderers  that,  as  they  were  going  to 
war  with  the  savages,  they  would  give  him  and  his  comrades  some 
shirts.  They  ilatly  refused,  which  offended  him,  and  he  could  not 
help  expressing  this  to  his  comrades.  They  agreed  together  to  make 
a  second  demand,  and  if  refused,  to  revenge  the  death  of  M.  de  la 
Salle.  This  they  did  some  days  afterwards.  The  Englishman,  tak- 
ing two  pistols  in  his  belt,  accompanied  by  a  Frenchman  with  his 
gun,  went  deliberately  to  the  cabin  of  the  murderers,  whom  they 
found  were  out  shooting  with  bows  and  arrows.  Lanctot  met  them, 
and  wished  them  good  day,  and  asked  how  they  were.  They  an- 
answered,  "  pretty  well,  and  that  it  was  not  necessary  to  ask  how  they 
did,  as  they  were  always  eating  turkeys  and  good  venison.''  Then 
the  Englishman  asked  for  some  ammunition  and  shirts,  as  they  were 
provided  with  everything.  They  replied  that  M.  de  la  Salle  was 
their  debtor,  and  that  what  they  had  taken  was  theirs.  "You  will 
not,  then  ?"  said  the  Englishman.  '•'  \o."  replied  thrv.  On  which 

o  1  •> 

the  Englishman  said  to  one  of  them,  "You  are  a  wretch  ;  you  mur- 
dered my  muster/'  and  firing  his  pistol,  killed  him  on  the  spot.  Du- 
hault  tried  to  get  into  his  cabin,  but  the  Frenchman  shot  him  also 
with  a  pistol  in  the  loins,  which  threw  him  on  the  ground.  M.  Ca- 
velier  and  Father  Anastatius  ran  to  his  assistance.  Duhault  had 
hardly  time  to  confess  himself,  for  the  father  had  but  just  given  him 


MEMOIR    OF    THE    SIEITR    DE    TONTY.  77 

absolution,  when  he  was  finished  by  another  pistol  shot  at  the  request 
of  the  savages,  who  could  not  endure  that  lie  should  live  after  having 
killed  their  chief.  The  Englishman  took  possession  of  everything. 
He  gave  a  share  to  M.  Cavelier,  who  having  found  my  abode  in 
Arkansas,  went  from  thence  to  Illinois.  The  Englishman  remained 
at  Naoudiches. 

We  reached  Cadadoquis  on  the  10th  of  May.     We  stayed  thereto 
rest  our  horses,  and  went  away  on  the  17th,  with  a  guide  who  was  to 
take  us  to  the  village  of  Coroas.     After  four  days'  journey  he  left  us, 
in  consequence  of  an  accident  which  happened  in  crossing  a  marsh. 
As   we   were   leading  our  horses  by  the  bridle,  he   fancied  he    was 
pursued  by  an  alligator,  and  tried  to  climb  a  tree.     In   his  hurry  he 
entangled  the  halter  of  my  horse,   which   was   drowned.     This   in  - 
duced  him  to  leave  us  without  saying  anything,  lest  we  should  punish 
him  for  the  loss  of  the  horse.     We  were  thus  left  in  great  difficulty 
respecting  the  road  which  we  were  to  take.     I  forgot  to  say  that  the 
savages  who  have  horses  use  them   both  for  war  and    for   hunting. 
They  make  pointed  saddles,  wooden  stirrups,  and  body-coverings  of 
several  skins,  one  over  the  other,  as  a  protection  from  arrows.     They 
arm  the  breast  of  their  horses  with  the  same  material,   a  proof  that 
they  are  not  very  far  from  the  Spaniards.      When    our  guide    was 
gone  I  told  the  Chaganon  to  take  the  lead  ;  all  he  said  in  answer  was, 
that  that  was  my  business  ;   and  as  I  was  unable  to  influence  him,  I 
was  obliged  to  act  as  guide.     I  directed  our  course  to  the  southeast, 
and  after  about  40  leagues'  march,  crossing  seven  rivers,  we   found 
the  River  Coroas.      We  made  a  raft  to  explore  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  but  found  there  no  dry  land.     We  resolved  to   abandon  our 
horses,    as   it  was  impossible  to  take  them  on  upon  account  of  the 
great  inundation.      In  the  evening,  as  we  were  preparing  to   depart, 
we  saw  some  savages.      We  called  to  them  in  vain — they  ran  away. 
and  we  were  unable  to  come  up   with   them.      Two  of  their  dogs 
came  to  us,  which,  with  two  of  our  own,  we  embarked  the  next  day 
on  our  raft,  and  left  our  horses.      We  crossed  50  leagues  of  Hooded 
country.      The  water,  where  it  was  least  deep,  reached   halfway   up 
the  legs  ;   and  in  all  this  tract  we  found  only  one  little  island  of  dry 
land,  where  we  killed  a  bear  and  dried  its  flesh.      It  would   be  diffi- 
cult to  give  an  idea  of  the  trouble  we  had  to  get  out  of  this   misera- 
ble country,  where  it  rained  night  and   day.      We  were   obliged  to 
sleep  on  the  trunks  of  two  great  trees  placed  together,   and  to  make 
our  fire  on  the  trees,  to  eat  our  dogs,  and  to  carry  our  baggage  across 
larce  tracts  covered  with  reeds ;  in  short,  I  never  suffered  so  much 


78  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

in  my  life  as  in  this  journey  to  the  Mississippi,  which  we  reached  on 
the  llth  of  July.  Finding  where  we  were,  and  that  we  were  only 
30  leagues  from  Coroas,  we  resolved  to  go  there,  although  we  had 
never  set  foot  in  that  village.  We  arrived  there  on  the  evening  of 
the  14th.  We  had  not  eaten  for  three  days,  as  we  could  find  no 
animal,  on  account  of  the  great  flood.  I  found  two  of  the  French- 
men who  had  abandoned  me  at  this  village.  The  savages  received 
me  very  well,  and  sympathized  with  us  in  the  sufferings  we  had  un- 
dergone. During  three  days  they  did  not  cease  feasting  us,  sending 
men  out  hunting  every  day,  and  not  sparing  their  turkeys.  I  left 
them  on  the  20th,  and  reached  Arkansas  on  the  31st.  where  I  caught 
the  fever,  which  obliged  me  to  stay  there  till  the  llth  of  August, 
when  I  left.  The  fever  lasted  until  we  got  to  the  Illinois,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1090. 

I  cannot  describe  the  beauty  of  all  the  countries  I  have  mentioned. 
If  I  had  had  a  better  knowledge  of  them,  I  should  be  better  able  to 
say  what  special  advantages  might  be  derived  from  them.  As  for 
the  Mississippi,  it  could  produce  every  year  20.000  ecus'  worth  of 
peltries,  an  abundance  of  lead,  and  wood  for  ship-building.  A  silk 
trade  might  be  established  there,  and  a  port  for  the  protection  of  ves- 
sels and  the  maintenance  of  a  communication  with  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Pearls  might  be  found  there.  If  wheat  will  not  grow  at 
the  lower  part  of  the  river,  the  upper  country  would  furnish  it;  and 
the  islands  might  be  supplied  with  everything  they  need,  such  as 
planks,  vegetables,  grain,  and  salt  beef.  If  I  had  not  been  hurried 
in  making  this  narrative,  I  should  have  stated  many  circumstances 
which  would  have  gratified  the  reader,  but  the  loss  of  my  notes  dur- 
ing my  travels  is  the  reason  why  this  relation  is  not  such  as  I  could 
have  wished. 

Ili:>TKV  I»K  To.NTY. 


PETITION* 

OF    THE    CHEVALIER    DE    TONTY    TO    THE    COUNT    UE    PONTCHARTEAIN, 
MINISTER    OF    MARINE. 

MoN  SEIGNEUR, 

HENRY  DE  TONTY  humbly  represents  to  your  Highness  that  he 
entered  the  army  as  a  cadet,  and  was  employed  in  that  capacity  in 
the  years  1068  and  1669  •  and  that  he  afterwards  served  as  a  garde 
marine  four  years,  at  Marseilles  and  Toulon,  and  made  seven  cam- 
paigns, that  is,  four  on  board  ships  of  war,  and  three  in  the  galleys. 
While  at  Messina,  he  was  made  captain-lieutenant  to  the  mallre  de 
camp  of  20,000.  When  the  enemy  attacked  the  post  of  Libisso  his 
right  hand  was  shot  away  by  a  grenade,  and  he  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  conducted  to  Metasse,  where  he  was  detained  six  months,  and 
then  exchanged  for  the  son  of  the  governor  of  that  place.  He  then 
went  to  France,  to  obtain  some  favor  from  his  Majesty,  and  the  King 
granted  him  three  hundred  livres.  He  returned  to  the  service  in 
Sicily,  made  the  campaign  as  a  volunteer  in  the  galleys,  and,  when 
the  troops  were  discharged,  being  unable  to  obtain  employment  he 
solicited  at  court,  but  being  unsuccessful,  on  account  of  the  general 
peace,  he  decided,  in  1678,  to  join  the  late  Monsieur  de  la  Salle,  in 
order  to  accompany  him  in  the  discoveries  of  Mexico,  during  which, 
until  1682,  he  was  the  only  officer  who  did  not  abandon  him. 

These  discoveries  being  finished,  he  remained,  in  1683,  command- 
ant of  Fort  St.  Louis  of  the  Illinois  ;  and  in  1684.  he  was  there 
attacked  by  two  hundred  Iroquois,  whom  he  repulsed,  with  great  loss 
on  their  side.  During  the  same  year  he  repaired  to  Quebec,  at  the 
command  of  M.  de  la  Barre.  In  1685,  he  returned  to  the  Illinois, 
according  to  the  orders  which  he  received  from  the  court,  and  from 
M.  de  la  Salle,  as  a  captain  of  foot  in  a  Marine  Detachment,  and 
governor  of  Fort  St.  Louis.  In  1686,  he  went,  with  forty  men  in 
canoes,  at  his  own  expense,  as  far  as  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  seek  for 
M.  de  la  Salle.  Not  being  able  to  find  him  there,  he  returned  to 

*  This  petition  is  without  date,  but  was  probably  written  about  the  year 
1*300. 


80  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

Montreal,  and  put  himself  under  the  orders  of  Monsieur  Denonville, 
to  engage  in  the  war  with  the  Iroquois.  On  his  return  to  the  Illinois, 
he  inarched  two  hundred  leagues  hy  land,  and  as  far  in  canoes,  and 
joined  the  army,  when,  being  at  the  head  of  a  company  of  Canadians, 
he  forced  the  ambuscade  of  the  Tsonnonthouans. 

The  campaign  being  over,  he  returned  to  the  Illinois,  whence  he 
departed,  in  1089.  to  go  in  search  of  the  remains  of  M.  de  la  Salle's 
people  ;*  but,  being  deserted  by  his  men,  and  unable  to  execute  his 
design,  he  was  compelled  to  relinquish  it,  when  he  had  arrived 
within  seven  days'  march  of  the  Spaniards.  Ten  months  were  spent 
in  going  and  returning.  As  lie  now  finds  himself  without  employ- 
ment, lie  prays  that,  in  consideration  of  his  voyages  and  heavy  ex- 
penses, and  considering  also  that,  during  his  service  of  seven  years 
as  captain,  he  has  not  received  any  pay,  your  Highness  will  be 
pleased  to  obtain  for  him,  from  his  Majesty,  a  company,  that  he  may 
continue  his  services  in  this  country,  where  he  has  not  ceased  to 
harass  the  Iroquois,  by  enlisting  the  Illinois  against  them  in  his 
Majesty's  cause. 

And  he  will  continue  his  prayers  for  the  health  of  your  Highness. 

HEXUY  DE  TO.XTV.-J- 

*  At  the  'Bay  of  St.  Bernard,  and  who  wore  there  massacred  by  the  Indians, 
except  three  sons  and  a  daughter  of  M.  Talon,  and  a  young  Frenchman  named 
Eustache  de  Breman,  who  were  carried  into  captivity,  and  afterwards  rescued 
by  the  Spaniards. 

f  The  las*  that  is  known  of  the  brave  and  generous  DC  Tonty  is,  that  lie 
joined  Iberville  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  about  the  year  17nu,  and  that 
two  years  afterwards  he:  was  employed  on  a  mission  to  the  Chicasaw  nation. 
No  notice  lias  ever  been  taken  of  his  death.  "  All  the  facts  that  can  be  ascer- 
tained concerning  DC  Tonty,  are  such  as  give  a  highly  favorable  impression  of 
his  characti  r,  both  as  an  ollicer  and  a  man.  His  constancy,  and  his  steady  de- 
votion to  La  Salle,  are  marked  not  only  by  a  strict  obedience  to  orders,  but  by 
a  faithful  friendship  and  chivalrous  generosity,  llis  courage  and  address  were 
strikingly  exhibited  in  his  intercourse  with  the  Indians,  as  well  in  war  as  in 
peace  ;  but.  his  acts  were  performed  where  there  were  few  to  observe,  and  fewer 
to  record  them.  Hence  if  is  that  historians  ha\e  done  him  but  partial  justice1.'' 

Tontv  disavowed  to  Iberville  and  Father  Marcst,  the  publication  of  a  work 
published  in  Paris,  LC>',)7,  entitled  "  Derniercs  Decou vertes  dans  I'Arneriqiie 
Septenlrionalc,  de  M.  de  la  Salle,  par  M.  le  Che\  alier  Tonti  ;'"  which  has  been 
since  reprinted,  under  the  title  of  "  Relation  de  la  Louisiana  on  du  Mississippi, 
par  le  Chevalier  ile  Tonti." 

Tontv  must  be  nmked  next  to  La  Salle,  who  contributed  the  must  towards 
the  exploiation  and  settlement  of  the  Mississippi  valley. 


PETITION    OF    THE    CHEVALIER    DE    TONTY.  81 

Nothing  can  be  more  true  than  the  account  given  by  the  Sieur  de 
Tonty  in  this  petition  ;  and  should  his  Majesty  reinstate  the  seven 
companies  which  have  been  disbanded  in  this  country,  there  will  be 
justice  in  granting  one  of  them  to  him,  or  some  other  recompense 
for  the  services  which  he  has  rendered,  and  which  he  is  now  return- 
ing  to  render,  at  Fort  St.  Louis  in  the  Illinois. 

FRONTENAC. 


TONTY'S    ACCOUNT 

OF  THE  ROUTE  FROM  THE  ILLINOIS,  BY  THE  RIVER  MISSISSIPPI,  TO 
THE  GULF  OF  MEXICO. 

SIR, 

As  the  map  accompanying  this  has  been  made  in  haste,  without 
proper  calculations  and  measurements,  you  may  probably  desire  to 
make  one  ;  and  for  this  purpose  I  will  state  of  the  Mississippi  that 
though  it  winds  much,  we  reckon  from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  to 
the  sea  eight  hundred  leagues,  and  you  perceive  from  the  note  that 
its  direction  is  north  and  south.  The  distance  of  the  villages, 
reckoning  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Illinois  to  the  sea,  or  ascend- 
ing from  the  sea  as  far  as  the  river  Quiouentagoet  (on  the  banks  of 
which  is  a  village  containing  eighty  Illinois  cabins),  is  calculated  at 
sixty  leagues,  and  from  thence  to  the  Miamis  thirty  leagues.  The 
Touraxouslins  and  Kikapous  are  fifteen  leagues  in  the  interior,  from 
the  banks  of  the  river  ;  two  hundred  leagues  from  the  junction  of  the 
river  Illinois  ;  and  from  thence  two  hundred  leagues  to  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthony.  The  rivers  of  the  Missouri  come  from  the  west,  and 
after  traversing  three  hundred  leagues,  arrive  at  a  lake,  which  I 
believe  to  lie  that  of  the  Apaches.  The  villages  of  the  Missounta, 
Otenta,  and  Osage  are  near  one  another,  and  are  situated  in  the 
prairies,  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  from  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri. 
I  should  have  stated  before  that  the  river  of  the  Illinois  is  two  hun- 
dred leagues  in  length.  The  Fort  St.  Louis,  with  two  hundred 
cabins,  is  seventy  leagues  from  its  mouth.  The  little  river  on  which 
are  the  Machigama,  Chipoussa,  and  Michibousa,  is  forty  leagues 
from  the  Tamazoa.  These  tribes  are  situated  about  ten  leagues 
from  its  mouth. 

The  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  Kasquinanipo  is  ten  leagues  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Ouabache.  The  village  is  situated  seventy  leagues 
upwards,  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  Maon,  a  numerous  nation, 
and  at  peace  with  no  one,  is  at  the  source  of  the  said  river,  one 
hundred  leagues  from  the  Kasquinanipo.  The  O/otoues  are  six 
leagues  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Arkansas.  The  lonica,  Va/.ou, 
Coroa,  and  Chonque,  are,  one  with  the  other,  about  ten  leagues  from 
the  Mississippi,  on  the  river  of  the  Yazou  ;  the  Sioux  fifteen  leagues 


ROUTE    FROM    THE    ILLINOIS    TO    THE    GULF    OF    MEXICO.       83 

above.  All  these  villages  are  situated  in  prairies,  but  it  is  remarka- 
ble that  the  country  about,  the  soil  of  which  is  the  best  in  the  world, 
and  is  intersected  by  streams,  has  been  abandoned. 

The  Yazou  are  masters  of  the  soil.  The  Mauton  are  seventy 
leagues  from  the  Ossoztoues,  and  forty  leagues  from  the  Cadodoquis. 
The  Coroa  are  their  neighbors,  though  thirteen  leagues  off. 

With  respect  to  the  other  nations,  I  have  sufficiently  described  at 
what  distance  they  are  from  one  another,  from  the  nations  on  the 
Mississippi,  and  from  those  on  the  Red  River,  excepting  the  Nadouc, 
Avho  are  twelve  leagues  from  the  banks.  In  case  the  court  wishes 
this  discovery  to  be  continued,  I  will  add  a  note.  In  that  I  have 
stated  it  will  be  requisite  to  build  a  ship  of  fifty  tons,  to  get  to 
France  from  the  Arkansas.  Two  pilots,  &c. ;  particulars  of  every- 
thing necessary,  and  more  numerous  than  set  forth  in  M.  de  la 
Salle'sNote. 

I  undertake,  with  God's  assistance,  to  descend  the  river,  to  take 
solar  observations,  to  account  for  the  expenses,  and  to  sail  to  France 
with  the  said  vessel  built  in  the  Arkansas.  This  is  the  place  best 
adapted  for  the  purpose,  for  we  should  not  be  interrupted  by  enemies  ; 
and  wood,  and  everything  necessary  for  subsistence  is  there  abun- 
dant. 

HENRY  DE  TONTY. 


ADDITIONAL  STATEMENT  OF  WHAT  WILL  BE  REQUIRED  FOR  BUILDING 
THE    VESSEL. 

THE  former  statement  related  to  the  expenses  of  the  voyage,  and 
presents  for  the  savages.  In  case  his  Majesty  grants  the  above  re- 
quest, I  entreat  Monseigneur  de  Pontchartrain  to  be  kind  enough  to 
send  orders  to  M.  the  Intendant  at  Roehefort  to  send  the  things  to 

O 

Messrs,  the  Count  de  Frontenac  and  Champigny,  and  the  latter  to 
provide  twenty  large  canoes  and  forty  good  men  to  manage  them. 

HENRY  DE.  TONTY. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL' 

OF 

MONSIEUR  DE  LA  SALLE'S 

LAST    VOYAGE 

TO    DISCOVER  THE 

RIVER    MISSISSIPPI. 


AT  the  time  when  M,  de  la  Salle  was  preparing  for  his  last  voyage 
into  North  America,  I  happened  to  be  at  Rouen,  the  place  where  he 
and  I  were  both  born,  being  returned  from  the  army,  where  I  had 
served  sixteen  or  seventeen  years. 

The  reputation  gained  by  M.  de  la  Salle,  the  greatness  of  his  un- 
dertaking, the  natural  curiosity  which  all  men  are  possessed  with, 
and  my  acquaintance  with  his  kindred,  and  with  several  of  the  in- 
habitants of  that  city,  who  were  to  bear  him  company,  easily  pre- 
vailed with  me  to  make  one  of  the  number,  and  I  was  admitted  as  a 
volunteer. 

Our  rendezvous  was  appointed  at  Rochelle,  where  we  were  to  em- 
bark. MM.  Cavelier,  the  one  brother,  the  other  nephew  to  M. 
de  la  Salle,  MM.  Chedeville,  Planteroze,  Thibault,  Ory,  some  others, 
and  I,  repaired  thither  in  July,  1684. 

M.  de  la  Salle  having  provided  all  things  necessary  for  his  voy- 
age, surmounted  all  the  difficulties  laid  in  his  way  by  several  ill- 
minded  persons,  and  received  his  orders  from  M.  Arnoult,  the  Intend- 
ant  at  Rochelle,  pursuant  to  those  he  had  received  from  the  king,  we 
sailed  on  the  24th  of  July,  1684,  being  twenty-four  vessels,  four  of 
them  for  our  voyage,  and  the  others  for  the  islands  and  Canada. 

The  four  vessels  appointed  for  M.  de  la  Salle's  enterprise,  had  on 

*  This  journal  has  been  ahvays  esteemed  one  of  the  most  authentic  works  on 
Louisiana.  Joutel's  description  of  the  country  of  Texas,  although  written  up- 
wards of  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  is  still  amone:  the  best  we  have. 


8(>  HISTORICAL    COLLECTION'S    OF    LOUISIANA. 

board  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  persons,  including  the  crews  ; 
of  which  number  there  were  one  hundred  soldiers,  with  their  officers  ; 
one  Talon,  with  his  Canada  family,  about  thirty  volunteers,  some 
young  women,  and  the  rest  hired  people  and  workmen  of  all  sorts, 
requisite  for  making  of  a  settlement. 

The  first  of  the  four  vessels  was  a  man-of-war,  called  Le  Joly,  of 
about  thirty-six  or  forty-guns,  commanded  by  M.  de  Beaujeu,  on 
which  M.  de  la  Salle,  his  brother  the  priest,  two  Recollet  friars,  MM. 
Dainmaville  and  Chedeville,  priests,  and  I  embarked.  The  next  was 
a  little  frigate,  carrying  six  guns,  which  the  king  had  given  to  M.  de 
la  Salle,  commanded  by  two  masters  ;  a  flyboat  of  about  three  hun- 
dred tons  burden,  belonging  to  the  Sicur  Massiot,  merchant  at  Ro- 
chelle,  commanded  by  the  Sieur  Aigron,  and  laden  with  all  the 
effects  M.  de  la  Salle  had  thought  necessary  for  his  settlement,  and  a 
small  ketch,  on  which  M.  de  la  Salle  had  embarked  thirty  tons  of 
ammunition,  and  some  commodities  designed  for  St.  Domingo. 

All  the  lleet,  being  under  the  command  of  M.  de  Beaujeu,  was 
ordered  to  keep  together  as  far  as  Cape  Finisterre,  whence  each  was 
to  follow  his  own  course  ;  but  this  was  prevented  by  an  unexpected 
accident.  We  were  come  into  45°  23'  of  north  latitude,  and  about 
50  leagues  from  Rochelle,  when  the  bowsprit  of  our  ship,  the  Joly, 
on  a  sudden  broke  short,  which  obliged  us  to  strike  all  our  other 
sails,  and  cut  all  the  rigging  the  broken  bowsprit  hung  by. 

Every  man  reflected  on  this  accident  according  to  his  inclination. 
Some  were  of  opinion  it  was  a  contrivance  ;  and  it  was  debated  in 
council,  whether  we  should  proceed  to  Portugal,  or  return  to  Ro- 
chelle or  Rochefort  ;  but  the  latter  resolution  prevailed.  The  other 
ships  designed  for  the  islands  and  Canada,  parted  from  us,  and  held 
on  their  course.  \Ve  made  back  for  the  river  of  Rochefort,  whither 
the  other  three  vessels  followed  us,  and  a  boat  was  sent  in  to  acquaint 
the  Intendant  with  this  accident.  The  boat  returned  some  hours 
after,  towing  along  a  bowsprit,  which  was  soon  set  in  its  place,  and 
after  M.  de  la  Salic  had  conferred  with  the  Intendant,  he  left  that 
place  on  the  first  of  August,  10^4. 

We  sailed  again,  steering  W.  and  by  S.,  and  on  the  ^th  of  the 
same  month  weathered  Cape  Finisterre.  which  is  in  48°  of  north 
latitude,  without  meeting  anything  remarkable.  The  12th,  we  were 
in  the  latitude  of  Lisbon,  or  about  39  ''  north.  The  16th,  we  were 
in  :?(>',  the  latitude  of  the  Straits,  and  on  the  20th,  discovered  the 
island  of  Madeira,  which  is  in  32°,  and  where  M.  de  Beaujeu  pro- 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  87 

posed  to  M.  de  la  Salle  to  anchor,  and  take  in  water  and  some  re- 
freshments. 

M.  de  la  Salle  was  not  of  that  mind,  on  account  that  we  had  been 
but  twenty-one  days  from  France,  had  sufficient  store  of  water, 
ought  to  have  taken  aboard  refreshments  enough,  and  it  would  be  a 
loss  of  eight  or  ten  days  to  no  purpose;  besides,  that  our  enterprise 
required  secresy,  whereas  the  Spaniards  might  get  some  information, 
by  means  of  the  people  of  that  island,  which  was  not  agreeably  to 
the  King's  intention. 

This  answer  was  not  acceptable  to  M.  de  Beaujeu,  or  the  other 
officers,  nor  even  to  the  ship's  crew,  who  muttered  at  it  very  much  ; 
and  it  went  so  far,  that  a  passenger  called  Paget,  a  Huguenot  of  Ro- 
chelle,  had  the  insolence  to  talk  to  M.  de  la  Salle  in  a  very  passionate 
and  disrespectful  manner,  so  that  he  was  fain  to  make  his  complaint 
to  M.  de  Beaujeu,  and  to  ask  of  him  whether  he  had  given  any  en- 
couragement to  such  a  fellow  to  talk  to  him  after  that  manner.  M. 
Beaujeu  made  him  no  satisfaction.  These  misunderstandings,  with 
some  others  which  happened  before,  being  no  way  advantageous  to 
his  majesty's  service,  laid  the  foundation  of  those  tragical  events 
which  afterwards  put  an  unhappy  end  to  M.  de  la  Salle's  life  and 
undertaking,  and  occasioned  our  ruin. 

However,  it  was  resolved  not  to  come  to  an  anchor  at  that  island, 
whereupon  M.  de  Beaujeu  said,  that  since  it  was  so,  we  should  put 
in  nowhere  but  at  the  island  of  St.  Domingo.  We  held  on  our 
course,  weathered  the  island  of  Madeira,  and  began  to  see  those 
little  flying  fishes,  which,  to  escape  the  dorados,  or  gilt-heads,  that 
pursue  them,  leap  out  of  the  water,  take  a  little  flight  of  about  a  pis- 
tol shot,  and  then  fall  again  into  the  sea,  but  very  often  into  ships,  as 
they  are  sailing  by.  That  fish  is  about  as  big  as  a  herring,  and  very 
good  to  eat. 

On  the  24th  we  carne  into  the  trade  wind,  which  continually  blows 
from  east  to  west,  and  is  therefore  called  by  some  authors  ventus  sub- 
solanus,  because  it  follows  the  motion  of  the  sun.  The  23th,  we 
were  in  27°  44'  of  north  latitude,  and  in  344°  of  longitude.  The 
30th,  we  had  a  storm,  which  continued  violent  for  two  days,  but  being 
right  astern  of  us,  we  only  lost  sight  of  the  ketch,  for  want  of  good 
steering,  but  she  joined  us  again  in  a  few  days  after. 

The  6th  of  September,  we  were  under  the  tropic  of  Cancer,  in  23D 
30'  of  north  latitude,  and  319°  of  longitude.  There  M.  de  la  Salle's 
obstructing  the  ceremony  the  sailors  call  ducking,  gave  them  occa- 
sion to  mutter  again,  and  rendered  himself  privately  odious.  So 


88  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

many  have  given  an  account  of  the  nature  of  that  folly,  that  it  would 
be  needless  to  repeat  it  here ;  it  may  suffice  to  say,  that  there  are 
three  things  to  authorize  it :  1.  Custom  ;  2.  The  oath  administered  to 
those  who  are  ducked,  which  is  to  this  effect,  that  they  will  not  per- 
mit any  to  pass  the  tropics  or  the  line,  without  obliging  them  to  the 
same  ceremony ;  and  3,  which  is  the  most  prevailing  argument,  the 
interest  accruing  to  the  sailors  upon  that  occasion,  by  the  refresh- 
ments, liquors,  or  money,  given  them  by  the  passengers,  to  be  excused 
from  that  ceremony. 

M.  de  la  Salle  being  informed  that  all  things  were  preparing  for 
that  impertinent  ceremony  of  ducking,  and  that  a  tub  full  of  water 
was  ready  on  the  deck  (the  French  duck  in  a  great  cask  of  water, 
the  English  in  the  sea,  letting  down  the  person  at  the  yard-arm),  sent 
word  that  he  would  not  allow  such  as  were  under  his  command  to  be 
subject  to  that  folly,  which  being  told  to  M.  de  Beaujeu,  he  forbid 
putting  it  in  execution,  to  the  great  dissatisfaction  of  the  inferior  offi- 
cers and  sailors,  who  expected  a  considerable  sum  of  money  and 
quantity  of  refreshments,  or  liquors,  because  there  were  many  per- 
sons to  duck,  and  all  the  blame  was  laid  upon  M.  de  la  Salle. 

On  the  llth  of  September  we  were  in  the  latitude  of  the  island  of 
St.  Domingo,  or  Hispaniola,  being  20°  north,  and  the  longitude  of 
320°.  We  steered  our  course  west,  but  the  wind  flatting,  the  ensuing 
calm  quite  stopped  our  way.  That  same  day  M.  Dainmaville,  the 
priest,  went  aboard  the  bark  La  Belle,  to  administer  the  sacraments 
to  a  gunner,  who  died  a  few  days  after.  M.  de  la  Salle  went  to  see 
him,  and  1  bore  him  company. 

The  lilst,  the  ketch,  which  we  had  before  lost  sight  of,  joined  us 
again  ;  and  some  complaints  being  made  to  M.  de  la  Salle,  by  several 
private  persons  who  were  aboard  the  flyboat,  he  ordered  me  to  go 
thither  to  accommodate  those  differences,  winch  were  occasioned  only 
by  some  jealousies  among  them. 

The  Kith,  we  sailed  by  the  island  Sombrero,  and  the  18th  had  hard 
blowing  weather,  which  made  us  apprehensive  of  a  hurricane.  The 
foul  weather  lasted  two  days,  during  which  time  \ve  kept  under  a 
main  course,  and  lost  sight  of  the  other  vessels. 

A  council  was  called  aboard  our  ship,  the  Joly.  to  consider  whether 
we  should  lie  by  for  the  others,  or  hold  on  our  course,  and  it  was  re- 
solved that,  considering  our  water  began  to  fall  short,  and  there  were 
above  live  persons  sick  aboard,  of  which  number  M.  de  la  Salle  and 
the  surgeon  were,  we  should  make  all  the  sail  we  could,  to  reach  the 


JOUTELS    HISTORICAL    JOURNAL.  89 

first  port  of  the  island  Hispaniola,  being  that  called  Port  de  Paix,  or 
Port  Peace,  which  resolution  was  accordingly  registered. 

The  20th  we  discovered  the  first  land  of  Hispaniola,  being  Cape 
Samana,  lying  in  19°  of  north  latitude,  and  of  longitude  308°.  The 
25th  we  should  have  put  into  Port  de  Paix,  as  had  been  concerted, 
and  it  was  not  only  the  most  convenient  place  for  us  to  get  refresh- 
ments, but  also  the  residence  of  M.  de  Cussy,  Governor  of  the  island 
of  Tortuga,  who  knew  that  M.  de  la  Salle  carried  particular  orders 
for  him  to  furnish  such  necessaries  as  he  stood  in  need  of. 

Notwithstanding  these  cogent  reasons,  M.  de  Beaujeu  was  positive 
to  pass  further  on  in  the  night,  weathering  the  island  of  Tortuga, 
which  is  some  leagues  distant  from  Port  de  Paix  and  the  coast  of 
Hispaniola.  He  also  passed  Cape  St.  Nicolas,  and  the  26th  of  the 
said  month  we  put  into  the  bay  of  Jaguana,  coasting  the  island  of 
Guanabo,  which  is  in  the  middle  of  that  great  bay  or  gulf,  and  in 
conclusion,  on  the  27th,  we  arrived  at  Petit  Gouave,  having  spent 
58  days  on  our  passage  from  the  port  of  Chef  de  Bois,  near  Rochelle. 
This  change  of  the  place  for  our  little  squadron  to  put  into,  for 
which  no  reason  could  be  given,  proved  very  disadvantageous ;  and 
it  will  hereafter  appear,  as  I  have  before  observed,  that  those  misun- 
derstandings among  the  officers  insensibly  drew  on  the  causes  from 
whence  our  misfortune  proceeded. 

As  soon  as  we  had  dropped  anchor,  a  piragua,  or  great  sort  of  ca- 
noe, came  out  from  the  place,  with  twenty  men,  to  know  who  we 
were,  and  hailed  us.  Being  informed  that  we  were  French,  they 
acquainted  us  that  M.  de  Cussy  was  at  Port  de  Paix,  with  the  Mar- 
quis de  St.  Laurent,  Lieutenant-General  of  the  American  Islands, 
and  M.  Begon,  the  Intendant,  which  very  much  troubled  M.  de  la 
Salle,  as  having  affairs  of  the  utmost  consequence  to  concert  with 
them  ;  but  there  was  no  remedy,  and  he  was  obliged  to  bear  it  with 
patience. 

The  next  day,  being  the  23th,  we  sang  Te  Deum,  in  thanksgiving 
for  our  prosperous  passage.  M.  de  la  Salle  being  somewhat  reco- 
vered of  his  indisposition,  went  ashore  with  several  of  the  gentlemen 
of  his  retinue,  to  buy  some  refreshments  for  the  sick,  and  to  find 
means  to  send  notice  of  his  arrival  to  MM.  de  St.  Laurent,  De  Cussy, 
and  Begon,  and  signify  to  them  how  much  he  was  concerned  that  we 
had  not  put  into  Port  de  Paix.  He  wrote  particularly  to  M.  de  Cussy, 
to  desire  he  would  come  to  him,  if  possible,  that  he  might  be  of  assist- 
ance to  him,  and  take  the  necessary  measures  for  rendering  his  en- 
terprise successful,  that  it  might  prove  to  the  King's  honor  and  service. 


90  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

In  the  meantime,  the  sick  suffering  very  much  aboard  the  ships 
by  reason  of  the  heat,  and  their  being  too  close  together,  the  soldiers 
were  put  ashore,  on  a  little  island,  near  Petit  Gouaves,  which  is  the 
usual  burial-place  of  the  people  of  the  pretended  reformed  religion, 
where  they  had  fresh  provisions,  and  bread  baked  on  purpose,  distri- 
buted to  them.  As  for  the  sick,  I  was  ordered  by  M.  de  la  Salle  to 
provide  a  house  for  them,  whither  they  were  carried,  with  the  sur- 
geons, and  supplied  with  all  that  was  requisite  for  them. 

Some  clays  after,  M.  de  la  Salle  fell  dangerously  ill  ;  most  of  his 
family  were  also  sick.  A  violent  fever,  attended  with  lightheaded- 
ness,  brought  him  almost  to  extremity.  The  posture  of  his  atlairs, 
want  of  money,  and  the  weight  of  a  mighty  enterprise,  without 
knowing  whom  to  trust  with  the  execution  of  it,  made  him  still  more 
sick  in  mind  than  he  was  in  his  body,  and  yet  his  patience  and  reso- 
lution surmounted  all  those  difficulties.  He  pitched  upon  M.  le  Gros 
and  me  to  act  for  him,  caused  some  commodities  he  had  aboard  the 
ships  to  be  sold,  to  raise  money  ;  and  through  our  care,  and  the  ex- 
cellent constitution  of  his  body,  he  recovered  health. 

Whilst  he  was  in  that  condition,  two  of  our  ships,  which  had  been 
separated  from  us  on  the  18th  of  September,  by  the  stormy  winds, 
arrived  at  Petit  Gouave  on  the  2d  of  October.  The  joy  conceived  on 
account  of  their  arrival,  was  much  allayed  by  the  news  they  brought  of 
the  loss  of  the  ketch,  taken  by  two  Spanish  piraguas ;  and  that  loss  was 
the  more  grievous,  because  that  vessel  was  laden  with  provisions,  am- 
munition, utensils,  and  proper  tools  for  the  settling  of  our  new  colonies; 
a  misfortune  which  would  not  have  happened,  had  M.  de  Beaujeu 
put  into  Port  de  Paix,  and  MM.  de  St.  Laurent,  De  Cussy,  and 
Begon,  who  arrived  at  the  same  time,  to  see  M.  de  la  Salle,  did  not 
spare  to  signify  as  much  to  him,  and  to  complain  of  that  miscarriage. 

M.  de  la  Salle  being  recovered,  had  several  conferences  with  these 
gentlemen,  relating  to  his  voyage.  A  consult  of  pilots  was  called  to 
resolve  where  we  should  touch  before  we  came  upon  the  coast  of 
America,  and  it  was  resolved  to  steer  directly  for  the  western  point 
of  the  Island  of  Cuba,  or  for  Cape  St.  Antony,  distant  about  300 
leagues  from  Ilispaniola,  there  to  expect  the  proper  season,  and  a  fair 
wind  to  enter  the  gulf  or  bay,  which  is  but  two  hundred  leagues 
over. 

The  next  care  was  to  lay  in  store  of  other  provisions,  in  the  room 
of  those  which  were  lost,  and  M.  de  la  Salle  was  the  more  pressing 
for  us  to  embark,  because  most  of  his  men  deserted,  or  were  debauch- 
ed by  the  inhabitants  of  the  place;  and  the  vessel  called  L'Aimable, 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  91 

being  the  worst  sailer  of  our  little  squadron,  it  was  resolved  that  she 
should  carry  the  light,  and  the  others  to  follow  it.  M.  de  la  Salle, 
M.  Cavelier,  his  brother,  the  Fathers  Zenobrius  and  Anastasius,  both 
Recollets,  M.  Chedeville,  and  I,  embarked  on  the  said  Aimable,  and 
all  sailed  the  25th  of  November. 

We  met  with  some  calms  and  some  violent  winds,  which,  never- 
theless, carried  us  in  sight  of  the  island  of  Cuba  on  the  30th  of  the 
same  month,  and  it  then  bore  from  us  N.  W.  There  we  altered  our 
course  and  steered  W.  and  by  N.  The  31st,  the  weather  being 
somewhat  close,  we  lost  sight  of  that  island,  then  stood  W.  N.  W., 
and  the  sky  clearing  up,  made  an  observation  at  noon,  and  found  we 
were  in  19°  45'  of  north  latitude  ;  by  which  we  judged  that  the  cur- 
rents had  carried  us  off  to  sea  from  the  island  of  Cuba. 

On  the  first  of  December  we  discovered  the  island  of  Cayman. 
The  2d  we  steered  N.  W.  and  by  W.  in  order  to  come  up  with  the 
island  of  Cuba,  in  the  northern  latitude  of  20°  32X.  The  3d  we  dis- 
covered the  little  island  of  Pines,  lying  close  to  Cuba.  The  4th,  we 
weathered  a  point  of  that  island,  and  the  wind  growing  scant,  were 
forced  to  ply  upon  a  bowline,  and  make  several  trips  till  the  5th,  at 
night,  when  we  anchored  in  a  creek,  in  15  fathom  water,  and  conti- 
nued there  till  the  8th. 

During  that  short  stay,  M.  de  la  Salle  went  ashore  with  several 
gentlemen  of  his  retinue  on  the  island  of  Pines,  shot  an  alligator 
dead,  and  returning  aboard,  perceived  he  had  lost  two  of  his  volun- 
teers, who  had  wandered  into  the  woods,  and  perhaps  lost  their  way. 
We  fired  several  musket  shots  to  call  them,  which  they  did  not  hear, 
and  I  was  ordered  to  expect  them  ashore,  with  30  musqueteers  to  at- 
tend me.  They  returned  the  next  morning  with  much  trouble. 

In  the  meantime  our  soldiers,  who  had  good  stomachs,  boiled  and 
eat  the  alligator  M.  de  la  Salle  had  killed.  The  flesh  of  it  was  white, 
and  had  a  taste  of  musk,  for  which  reason  I  could  not  eat  it.  One 
of  our  hunters  killed  a  wild  swine,  which  the  inhabitants  of  those 
islands  call  maron.  There  are  of  them  in  the  island  of  St.  Domin- 
go, or  Hispaniola.  They  are  of  the  breed  of  those  the  Spaniards 
left  in  the  islands  when  they  first  discovered  them,  and  run  wild  in 
the  woods.  I  sent  it  to  M.  de  la  Salle,  who  presented  the  one-half  to 
M.  de  Beaujeu. 

That  island  is  all  over  very  thick  wooded,  the  trees  being  of  several 
sorts,  and  some  of  them  bear  a  fruit  resembling  the  acorn,  but  harder. 
There  are  abundance  of  parrots,  larger  than  those  at  Petit  Gouave, 
a  great  number  of  turtle  doves  and  other  birds,  and  a  sort  of  crea- 


92  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

tures  resembling  a  rat,  but  as  big  as  a  cat,  their  hair  reddish.  Our 
men  killed  many  of  them  and  fed  heartily  on  them,  as  they  did  on  a 
good  quantity  of  fish,  wherewith  that  coast  abounds. 

We  embarked  again  as  soon  as  the  two  men  who  had  strayed  were 
returned,  and  on  the  8th,  being  the  Feast  of  the  Conception  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  sailed  in  the  morning,  after  having  heard  mass,  and 
the  wind  shifting,  were  forced  to  steer  several  courses.  The  9th  we 
discovered  Cape  Corrientes,  of  the  island  of  Cuba,  where  we  were 
first  becalmed,  and  then  followed  a  stormy  wind,  which  carried  us 
away  five  leagues  to  the  eastward.  The  10th,  we  spent  the  night 
making  several  trips.  The  llth,  the  wind  coming  about,  we  wea- 
thered Cape  Corrientes,  to  make  that  of  St.  Antony  ;  and  at  length, 
after  plying  a  considerable  time,  and  sounding,  we  came  to  an  anchor 
the  12th,  upon  good  ground,  in  fifteen  fathom  water,  in  the  creek 
formed  by  that  cape,  which  is  in  22°  of  north  latitude,  and  288°  35' 
of  longitude. 

We  stayed  there  only  till  next  day,  being  the  13th,  when  the  wind 
seemed  to  be  favorable  to  enter  upon  the  Bay  of  Mexico.  We  made 
ready  and  sailed,  steering  N.  W.  and  by  N.  and  N.  N.  W.  to  wea- 
ther the  said  cape, mm  [  prosecute  our  voyage  :  but  by  the  time  we 
were  five  leagues  from  the  place  of  our  departure,  we  perceived  the 
wind  shifted  upon  us,  and  not  knowing  which  way  the  currents  sate, 
we  stood  E.  and  by  N.  and  held  that  course  till  the  14th,  when  M. 
de  Beaujeu,  who  was  aboard  the  Joly,  joined  us  again,  and  having 
conferred  with  M.  dc  la  Salic  about  the  winds  being  contrary,  pro- 
posed to  him  to  return  to  Cape  St.  Antony,  to  which  M.  de  la  Salle 
consented,  to  avoid  giving  him  any  cause  to  complain,  though  there 
was  no  great  occasion  for  so  doing,  and  accordingly  we  went  and 
anchored  in  the  place  from  whence  we  came. 

The  next  day,  being  the  15th,  M.  de  la  Salle  sent  some  men 
ashore,  to  try  whether  we  could  fill  some  casks  with  water.  They 
brought  word,  they  had  found  some  in  the  wood  which  was  not  much 
amiss,  but  that  there  was  no  convcniency  for  rolling  of  the,  casks  ; 
for  which  reason  rundlets  were  sent,  and  as  much  water  brought  in 
them  as  filled  six  or  seven  of  our  water  casks. 

The  same  men  reported  that  they  had  found  a  glass  bottle,  and  in 
it  a  little  wine,  or  some  other  liquor,  almost  dead.  This  was  all  the 
provision  we  found  in  that  place,  by  which  it  appears  how  much  M. 
Tonty  \vas  misinformed,  since  in  his  book,  page  242,  he  says,  we 
fl'Und  in  that  island  several  tuns  of  Spanish  wine,  good  brandy,  and 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  93 

Indian  wheat,  which  the  Spaniards  had  left  or  abandoned  ;  and  it  is 
a  mere  invention,  without  anything  of  truth. 

The  16th,  the  weather  being  still  calm,  the  men  went  ashore  again 
for  five  or  six  more  casks  of  water.  I  was  to  have  gone  with  them, 
had  not  an  indisposition,  which  I  first  felt  in  the  Island  of  Pines,  and 
afterwards  turned  to  a  tertian  ague,  prevented  me.  Therefore  I  can 
give  no  account  of  that  island,  any  further  than  what  I  could  see 
from  the  ships,  which  was  abundance  of  that  sort  of  palm-trees  in 
French  called  lataniers,  fit  for  nothing  but  making  of  brooms,  or 
scarce  any  other  use.  That  day  we  saw  some  smokes  far  within  the 
island,  and  guessed  they  might  be  a  signal  of  the  number  of  our 
ships,  or  else  made  by  some  of  the  country  hunters  who  had  lost 
their  way. 

The  next  night  preceding  the  17th,  the  wind  freshening  from  the 
N.  W.,  and  starting  up  all  on  a  sudden,  drove  the  vessel  called  La 
Belle  upon  her  anchor,  so  that  she  came  foul  of  the  bowsprit  of  the 
Aimable,  carrying  away  the  spritsail-yard  and  the  spritsail-top-sail- 
yard  ;  and  had  not  they  immediately  veered  out  the  cable  of  the 
Aimable,  the  vessel  La  Belle  Avould  have  been  in  danger  of  perish- 
ing, but  escaped  with  the  loss  of  her  mizen,  which  came  by  the 
board,  and  of  about  a  hundred  fathoms  of  cable  and  an  anchor. 

The  18th,  the  wind  being  fresh,  we  made  ready,  and  sailed  about 
ten  in  the  morning,  stand  N.  and  N.  and  by  W.,  and  held  our 
course  till  noon  ;  the  point  of  Cape  St.  Anthony  bearing  east  and 
west  with  us,  and  so  continued  steering  north-west,  till  the  19th  at 
noon,  when  we  found  ourselves  in  the  latitude  of  22°  58/  north,  and 
in  287°  54'  longitude. 

Finding  the  wind  shifting  from  one  side  to  another,  we  directed  oui 
course  several  ways,  but  that  which  proved  advantageous  to  us  was 
the  fair  weather,  and  that  was  a  great  help,  so  that  scarce  a  day 
passed  without  taking  an  observation. 

The  20th  we  found  the  variation  of  the  needle  was  5°  west,  and 
we  were  in  26°  W  of  north  latitude,  and  285°  16X  longitude.  The 
23d  it  grew  very  cloudy,  which  threatened  stormy  weather,  and  we 
prepared  to  receive  it,  but  came  off  only  witli  the  apprehension,  the 
clouds  dispersing  several  ways,  and  we  continued  till  the  27th  in  and 
about  28°  14',  and  both  by  the  latitude  and  estimation  it  was  judged 
that  we  were  not  far  from  land. 

The  bark  called  La  Belle  was  sent  out  to  discover  and  keep  be- 
fore, sounding  all  the  way  ;  and  half  an  hour  before  sunset  we  saw 
the  vessel  La  Belle  put  out  her  colors  and  lie  by  for  us.  Being 


94  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

come  up  with  her,  the  master  told  us  he  had  found  an  oozy  bottom 
at  thirty-two  fathom  water.  At  eight  of  the  clock  we  sounded  also, 
and  found  forty  fathom,  and  at  ten  but  twenty-five.  About  midnight, 
La  Belle  sounding  again,  found  only  seventeen)  which  being  a  de- 
monstration of  the  nearness  of  the  land,  we  lay  by  for  the  Joly,  to 
know  what  M.  de  Bcaujeu  designed,  who  being  come  up,  lay  by  with 
us. 

The  27th,  M.  de  Beaujeu  sent  the  Chevalier  d'Aire,  his  lieutenant, 
and  two  pilots  to  M.  de  la  Salle,  to  conclude  upon  the  course  we  were 
to  steer,  and  it  was  agreed  we  should  stand  W.  N.  W.  till  we  came 
into  six  fathom  water  ;  that  then  we  should  run  west,  and  when  we 
had  discovered  the  land,  boats  should  be  sent  to  view  the  country. 
Matters  being  thus  agreed  on,  we  sailed  again,  sounding  all  the  way 
for  the  more  security,  and  about  ten  were  in  ten  or  eleven  fathoms 
water,  the  bottom  fine  greyish  sand  and  oozy.  At  noon,  were  in  20° 
37'  of  north  latitude. 

The  28th,  being  in  eight  or  nine  fathom  water,  we  perceived  the 
bark  La  Belle,  which  kept  ahead  of  us,  put  out  her  colors,  which 
was  the  signal  of  her  having  discovered  something.  A  sailor  was 
sent  up  to  the  main-top,  who  descried  the  land,  to  the  N.  E.,  not 
above  six  leagues'  distance  from  us,  which  being  told  to  M.  de  Beau- 
jeu,  he  thought  fit  to  come  to  an  anchor. 

There  being  no  man  among  us  who  had  any  knowledge  of  that 
bay,  where  we  had  been  told  the  currents  were  strong,  and  snte 
swiftly  to  the  eastward,  it  made  us  suspect  that  we  were  fallen  off, 
and  that  the  land  we  saw  must  be  the  Bay  of  Apalache,  which 
obliged  us  on  the  29th  to  steer  W.  N.  W.,  still  keeping  along  the 
land,  and  it  was  agreed  that  the  Joly  should  follow  us  in  six  fathom 
water. 

The  30th,  the  Chevalier  d'Aire  and  the  second  pilot  of  the  Joly 
came  aboard  us  to  confer  and  adjust  by  our  reckonings  what  place 
we  might  be  in,  and  they  all  agreed,  according  to  M.  de  la  Salle's 
opinion,  that  the  currents  hud  set  us  to  the  eastward,  for  which  rea- 
son we  held  on  our  course,  as  we  had  done  the  day  before,  to  the  N. 
W.,  keeping  along  the  shore  till  the  1st  of  January,  l(>rt~),  when  we 
perceived  that  the  currents  forced  us  towards  the  land,  which  obliged 
us  to  come  to  an  anchor  in  six  fathom  water. 

We  had  not  been  there  long  before  the  bark  La  Belle  made  a  sig- 
nal that  she  had  discovered  land,  which  we  descried  at  about  four 
leagues'  distance  from  us.  Notice  was  given  to  M.de  Beaujeu.  who 
drew  near  to  us,  and  it  was  resolved  to  send  some  person  to  discover 
and  take  an  account  of  the  land  that  appeared  to  us. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  95 

Accordingly  a  boat  was  manned,  and  into  it  went  M.  de  la  Salle, 
the  Chevalier  d'Aire,  and  several  others  ;  another  boat  was  also  put 
out,  aboard  which  I  went  with  ten  or  twelve  of  our  gentlemen,  to 
join  M.  de  la  Salle,  and  the  bark  La  Belle  was  ordered  to  follow, 
always  keeping  along  the  shore  ;  to  the  end  that  if  the  wind  should 
rise  we  might  get  aboard  her,  to  lose  no  time. 

Some  of  those  who  were  in  M.  de  la  Salle's  boat,  and  the  foremost, 
went  ashore  and  saw  a  spacious  plain  country  of  much  pasture 
ground,  but  had  not  the  leisure  to  make  any  particular  discovery, 
because,  the  wind  freshening,  they  were  obliged  to  return  to  their 
boat,  to  come  aboard  again  ;  which  was  the  reason  why  we  did  not 
go  quite  up  to  the  shore,  but  returned  with  them  to  our  ship.  All 
that  could  be  taken  notice  of  was  a  great  quantity  of  wood  along  the 
coast.  We  took  an  observation,  and  found  29°  10'  of  north  latitude. 

The  2d,  there  arose  a  fog.  which  made  us  lose  sight  of  the  Joly. 
The  next  day,  the  weather  clearing  up,  we  fired  some  cannon-shot, 
and  the  Joly  answered  ;  and  towards  the  evening  we  perceived  her 
to  the  windward  of  us.  We  held  on  our  course,  making  several 
trips  till  the  4th,  in  the  evening,  when,  being  in  sight  and  within 
two  leagues  of  the  land,  we  came  to  an  anchor  to  expect  the  Joly,  for 
which  we  were  in  pain. 

The  5th,  we  set  sail,  and  held  on  our  course,  W.  S.  W.,  keeping 
along  the  shore  till  about  six  in  the  evening,  when  we  stood  away  to 
the  southward,  and  anchored  at  night  in  six  fathom  water.  The 
6th,  we  would  have  made  ready  to  sail,  but  the  pilot  perceiving  that 
the  sea  broke  astern  of  us.  and  that  there  were  some  shoals,  it  was 
thought  proper  to  continue  at  anchor  till  the  wind  changed,  and  we 
accordingly  stayed  there  the  6th  and  all  the  7th.  The  8th,  the  wind 
veering  about,  we  stood  out  a  little  to  sea,  to  avoid  those  shoals, 
which  are  very  dangerous,  and  anchored  again  a  league  from  thence. 
Upon  advice  that  the  bark  La  Belle  had  discovered  a  small  island, 
which  appeared  between  the  two  points  of  a  bay,  M.  de  la  Salle 
sent  a  man  up  to  the  round-top,  from  whence  both  the  one  and  the 
other  were  plainly  to  be  seen,  and  according  to  the  sea  charts  we  had 
with  us,  that  was  supposed  to  be  the  bay  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  9th,  M.  de  la  Salic  sent  to  view  those  shoals.  Those  who 
went  reported  there  was  a  sort  of  bank  which  runs  along  the  coast ; 
that  they  had  been  in  one  fathom  water,  and  discovered  the  little  island 
before  mentioned,  and  as  for  the  sand-bank  there  is  no  such  thing 
marked  down  in  the  charts.  M.  de  la  Salle  having  examined  the 


96  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

reckonings,  was  confirmed  in  his  opinion  that  we  were  in  the  Bay  of 
Apalache,  and  caused  us  to  continue  the  same  course. 

The  10th,  he  took  an  observation  and  found  29°  '23'  north  latitude. 
The  llth,  we  were  becalmed,  and  M.  de  la  Salle  resolved  to  go 
ashore,  to  endeavor  to  discover  what  he  was  looking  for  ;  but  as  we 
were  making  ready,  the  pilot  began  to  mutter  because  five  or  six  of 
us  were  going  with  M.  de  la  Salle,  who  too  lightly  altered  his  de- 
sign, to  avoid  giving  offence  to  brutish  people.  In  that  particular  he 
committed  an  irretrievable  error  ;  for  it  is  the  opinion  of  judicious 
men  who,  as  well  as  I,  saw  the  rest  of  that  voyage,  that  the  mouth  of 
one  of  the  branches  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  the  same  whose 
latitude  M.  de  la  Salle  had  taken  when  he  travelled  to  it  from  Ca- 
nada, was  not  far  from  that  place,  and  that  we  must  of  necessity  be 
near  the  Bay  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

It  was  M.  de  la  Salle's  design  to  find  that  bay,  and  having  found 
it,  he  had  resolved  to  have  set  ashore  about  thirty  men,  who  were  to 
have  followed  the  coast  on  the  right  and  left,  which  would  infallibly 
have  discovered  to  him  that  fatal  river,  and  have  prevented  many 
misfortunes;  but  Heaven  refused  him  that  success,  and  even  made 
him  regardless  of  an  affair  of  such  consequence,  since  he  was  satis- 
fied with  sending  thither  the  pilot,  with  one  of  the  masters  of  the 
bark  La  Belle,  who  returned  without  having  seen  anything,  because 
a  fog  happened  to  rise ;  only  the  master  of  the  bark  said  he  believed 
there  was  a  river  opposite  to  those  shoals,  which  was  very  likely  ;  and 
yet  M.  de  la  Salle  took  no  notice  of  it,  nor  made  any  account  of  that 
report. 

The  liith,  the  wind  being  come  about,  we  weighed  and  directed 
our  course  S.  W.,  to  get  further  from  the  land.  By  an  observation 
found  125°  50'  north  latitude,  and  the  wind  shifting,  and  the  currents 
which  set  from  the  seaward  driving  us  ashore,  it  was  found  conve- 
nient to  anchor  in  four  or  five  fathom  water,  where  we  spent  all 
the  night. 

The  13th,  we  perceived  our  water  began  to  fall  short,  and  there- 
fore it  was  requisite  to  go  ashore  to  fill  some  casks.  M.  de  la  Salle 
proposed  it  to  me  to  go  and  see  it  performed,  which  I  accepted  of, 
with  six  of  our  gentlemen  who  offered  their  service.  We  went  into 
the  boat,  with  our  arms ;  the  boat  belonging  to  the  bark  La  Belle  fol- 
lowed ours,  with  five  or  six  men  ;  and  we  all  made  directly  for  the 
land. 

We  were  very  near  the  shore  when  we  discovered  a  number  of 
naked  men  marching  along  the  banks,  whom  we  supposed  to  be  na- 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  97 

live  savages.  We  drew  within  two  musket  shots  of  the  land,  and 
the  shore  being  flat,  the  wind  setting  from  the  offing,  and  the  sea 
running  high,  dropped  our  anchors,  for  fear  of  staving  our  boats. 

When  the  savages  perceived  we  had  stopped,  they  made  signs  to 
us  with  skins,  to  go  to  them,  showed  us  their  bows,  which  they  laid 
down  upon  the  ground,  and  drew  near  to  the  edge  of  the  shore  ;  but 
because  we  could  not  get  ashore,  and  still  they  continued  their  sig- 
nals, I  put  my  handkerchief  on  the  end  of  my  firelock,  after  the 
manner  of  a  flag,  and  made  signs  to  them  to  come  to  us.  They 
were  some  time  considering  of  it,  and  at  last  some  of  them  ran  into 
the  water  up  to  their  shoulders,  till  perceiving  that  the  waves  over- 
whelmed them,  they  went  out  again,  fetched  a  large  piece  of  timber, 
which  they  threw  into  the  sea,  placed  themselves  along  both  sides  of 
it,  holding  fast  to  it  with  one  arm  and  swimming  with  the  other  ;  and 
in  that  manner  they  drew  near  to  our  boat. 

Being  in  hopes  that  M.  do  la  Salle  might  get  some  information 
from  those  savages,  we  made  no  difliculty  of  taking  them  into  our 
boat,  one  after  another,  on  each  side,  to  the  number  of  five,  and  then 
made  signs  to  the  rest  to  go  to  the  other  boat,  which  they  did,  and  we 
carried  them  on  board. 

J\I.  de  la  Salle  was  very  well  pleased  to  see  them,  imagining  they 
might  give  him  some  account  of  the  river  he  sought  after;  but  to  no 
purpose,  for  he  spoke  to  them  in  several  of  the  languages  of  the 
savages,  which  he  knew,  and  made  many  signs  to  them,  but  still 
they  understood  not  what  we  meant,  or  if  they  did  comprehend  any- 
thing, they  made  signs  that  they  knew  nothing  of  what  he  asked  ;  so 
that  having  made  them  smoke  and  eat.  we  showed  them  our  arms 
and  the  ship,  and  when  they  saw  at  one  end  of  it  some  sheep,  swine, 
hens,  and  turkeys,  and  the  hide  of  a  cow  we  had  killed,  they  made 
signs  that  they  had  of  all  those  sorts  of  creatures  among  them. 

We  gave  them  some  knives  and  strings  of  beads,  after  which,  they 
were  dismissed,  and  the  waves  hindering  us  from  coining  too  near 
the  shore,  they  were  obliged  to  leap  into  the  water,  after  we  had 
made  fast  about  their  necks,  or  to  the  tuft  of  hair  they  have  on  the 
top  of  the  head,  the  knives  and  other  small  presents  M.  de  la  Salle 
had  given  them. 

They  went  and  joined  the  others  who  expected  them,  and  were 
making  signs  to  us  to  go  to  them  ;  but  not  being  able  to  make  the 
shore,  we  stood  oil'  again  and  returned  to  our  ship.  It  is  to  be  ob- 
served, that  when  we  were  carrying  them  back,  they  made  some  signs 


98  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

to  us,  by  which  we  conceived  they  would  signify  to  us  that  there  was 
a  great  river  that  way  we  were  passed,  and  that  it  occasioned  the 
shoals  we  had  seen. 

The  wind  changing  the  same  day,  we  weighed  anchor  and  stood 
to  the  southward,  to  get  into  the  offing,  till  the  14th,  in  the  morning, 
when  we  W7ere  becalmed.  At  noon  we  were  in  '28^  5 1/  of  north  lati- 
tude. The  wind  freshened,  and  in  the  evening  we  held  on  our 
course,  but  only  for  a  short  time,  because  the  wind  setting  us  towards 
the  shore,  we  were  obliged  to  anchor  again,  whereupon  M.  de  la  Salle 
again  resolved  to  send  ashore,  and  the  same  persons  embarked  in  the 
same  boats  to  that  effect. 

We  met  with  the  same  obstacles  that  had  hindered  us  the  day  be- 
fore, that  is,  the  high  sea,  which  would  not  permit  us  to  come  near 
the  shore,  and  were  obliged  to  drop  anchor  in  fourteen  feet  water. 
The  sight  of  abundance  of  goats  and  bullocks,  differing  in  shape 
from  ours,  and  running  along  the  coast,  heightened  our  earnestness  to 
be  ashore.  We  therefore  sounded  to  see  whether  we  might  get  to 
land  by  stripping,  and  found  we  were  on  a  flat,  which  had  four  feet 
water,  but  that  beyond  it  there  was  a  deep  channel.  Whilst  we  were 
consulting  what  to  do,  a  storm  arose,  which  obliged  M.  de  la  Salle  to 
fire  a  gun  for  us  to  return  aboard,  which  we  did  against  our  inclination, 

M.  dc  la  Salle  was  pleased  with  the  report  we  made  him.  and  by 
it  several  were  encouraged  to  go  ashore  to  hunt,  that  we  might  have 
some  fresh  meat.  We  spent  all  that  night,  till  the  next  morning,  in 
hopes  of  returning  soon  to  that  place  ;  but  the  wind  changing,  forced 
us  to  weigh  and  sail  till  the  evening,  when  we  dropped  anchor  in  six 
fathom  water.  The  land,  which  we  never  departed  from  very  far. 
appeared  to  us  very  pleasant,  and  having  lain  there  till  the  Kith,  that 
morning  we  sailed  \V.  S.  \V.  We  weathered  a  point,  keeping  a 
large  oiling,  because  of  the  sea's  beating  upon  it.  and  stood  to  the 
southward.  At  noon  we  were  in  x>^u  120  of  north  latitude,  and  con- 
sequently found  the  latitude  declined,  by  which  we  were  sensible  that 
the  coast  tended  to  the  southward.  At  niuht  we  anchored  in  six 
fathom  water. 

The  17th.  the  wind  continuing  the  same,  we  held  on  our  course 
S.  A\  ..and  Inning  about  ten  discovered  a  sort  of  river,  M.  de  la  Salle 
caused  ten  of  us  to  go  into  a  boat  to  take  a  view  of  that  coast,  and 
see  whether  there  was  not  some'  place  to  land.  lie  ordered  me.  in 
case  we  found  any  convenient  place,  to  give  him  notice  either  by  fire 
or  smoke. 

\Ve  Set  out.  and  Jliund   the  shoals  ob<trucf<  d  our  descent.      One  .,( 


JOUTEL  S    HISTORICAL    JOURNAL.  99 

our  men  went  naked  into  the  water  to  sound  that  sand  bank,  which 
lay  between  us  and  the  land;  and  having  shown  us  a  place  where  we 
might  pass,  we  with  much  difficulty  forced  our  boat  into  the  channel, 
and  six  or  seven  of  us  landed,  after  ordering  the  boat  to  go  up  into 
that  which  had  appeared  to  us  to  be  a  river,  to  see  whether  any  fresh 
water  could  be  found. 

As  soon  as  we  were  landed,  I  made  a  smoke  to  give  notice  to  M. 
de  la  Salle.  and  then  we  advanced  both  ways,  without  straggling  too 
far,  that  we  might  be  ready  to  receive  M.  de  la  Salle,  who  was  to 
come,  as  he  did,  soon  after,  but  finding  the  surges  run  high,  he  re- 
turned, and  our  boat  finding  no  fresh  water,  came  back  and  anchored 
to  wait  for  us. 

We  walked  about  every  way,  and  found  a  dry  soil,  though  it  seem- 
ed to  be  overflowed  at  some  times ;  great  lakes  of  salt  water,  little 
grass,  the  track  of  goats  on  the  sand,  and  saw  herds  of  them,  but 
could  not  come  near  them  j  however,  we  killed  some  ducks  and  bus- 
tards. In  the  evening,  as  we  were  returning,  we  missed  an  English 
seaman  ;  tired  several  shots  to  give  him  notice,  searched  all  about, 
waited  till  after  sunset,  and  at  last,  hearing  no  tidings  of  him.  we 
went  into  the  boat  to  return  aboard. 

I  gave  M.  de  la  Salle  an  account  of  what  we  had  seen,  which 
would  have  pleased  him  had  the  river  we  discovered  afforded  fresh 
water.  He  was  also  uneasy  for  the  lost  man  ;  but  about  midnight 
we  saw  a  fire  ashore,  in  the  place  we  came  from,  which  we  supposed 
to  be  made  by  our  man,  and  the  boat  went  for  him  as  soon  as  it  was 
day  on  the  13th. 

After  that  we  made  several  trips,  still  steering  towards  the  S.  W.. 
and  then  ensued  a  calm,  which  obliged  us  to  come  to  an  anchor. 
Want  of  water  made  us  think  of  returning  towards  the  river,  where 
we  had  been  the  day  before.  M.  de  la  Salle  resolved  to  set  a  consi- 
derable number  of  men  ashore,  with  sufficient  ammunition,  and  to  go 
with  them  himself,  to  discover  and  take  cognizance  of  that  country, 
and  ordered  me  to  follow  him.  Accordingly  we  sailed  back,  and 
came  to  an  anchor  in  the  same  place. 

All  things  necessary  for  that  end  being  ordered  on  the  19th,  part 
of  the  men  were  put  into  a  boat  ;  but  a  very  thick  fog  rising,  and 
taking  away  the  sight  of  land,  the  compass  was  made  use  of,  and  the 
log  dispersing  as  we  drew  near  the  land,  we  perceived  a  ship  making 
directly  towards  us,  and  that  it  was  the  Joly,  where  M.  de  Beaujeu 
commanded,  which  rejoiced  us  :  but  our  satisfaction  was  not  lasting, 
and  it  will  appear  by  the  sequel,  thai  it  were  to  have  been  wished  that 


100  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

M.  de  Beaujeu  had  not  joined  us  again,  but  that  he  had  rather  gone 
away  tor  France,  without  ever  seeing  of  us. 

His  arrival  disconcerted  the  execution  of  our  enterprise.  M.  de 
la  Salle,  who  was  already  on  his  way,  and  those  who  were  gone  be- 
fore him.  returned  aboard,  and  some  hours  after,  M.  de  Beaujeu  sent 
his  Lieutenant,  M.  de  Aire,  attended  by  several  persons,  as  well 
clergymen  as  others,  among  whom  was  the  Sieur  Cabaret,  second 
pilot  of  the  Joly. 

M.  de  Aire  complained  grievously  to  M.  de  la  Salle,  in  the  name 
of  M.  de  ]?eaujeu.  for  that,  said  he.  we  had  left  him  designedly  ; 
which  was  not  true,  for,  as  I  have  said,  the  Joly  lay  at  anchor  ahead 
of  us  when  we  were  separated  from  her  ;  we  fired  a  gun  to  give  her 
notice  of  our  departure,  as  had  been  concerted,  and  M.  de  Beaujeu 
answered  it  ;  besides  that,  if  we  had  intended  to  separate  from  him, 
we  should  not  have  always  held  our  course  in  sight  of  land,  as  we 
had  done,  and  that  had  M.  de  ISeaujeu  held  the  same  course,  as  had 
been  agreed,  he  had  not  been  separated  from  us. 

There  were  afterwards  several  disputes  between  the  Captains  and 
the  pilots,  as  well  aboard  M.  de  la  Salle  as  aboard  M.  de  lieaujeu, 
whi  n  those  gentlemen  returned,  about  settling  exactly  the  place  we 
were  in.  and  the  course  we  were  to  steer  ;  some  positively  allirming 
we  were  farther  than  we  imagined,  and  that  the  currents  had  carried 
us  away  ;  and  the  others,  that  we  were  near  the  Magdalen  River. 

The  former  of  those  notions  prevailed,  whence,  upon  rellection, 
M.  de  la  Salle  concluded  that  he  must  be  past  his  river,  which  was 
but  too  true  ;  for  that  river  emptying  itself  in  the  sea  by  two  chan- 
nels, it  followed  that  one  of  the  mouths  fell  about  the  shoals  we  had 
ob.-erved  on  the  (ith  of  the  month  ;  and  the  rather  because  those 
shoals  were  very  near  the  latitude  that  M.  de  la  Salle  had  observed 
when  he  came  by  the  way  of  Canada  to  discover  the  mouth  of  that 
river,  as  he  told  me  several  times. 

This  consideration  prevailed  \\ith  M.  de  la  Salle  to  pi-opuse  his 
design  of  returning  towards  those  ^hoals.  lie  f_rave  his  reasons  for  so 
doiiiM-.  and  exposed  his  doubts  :  but  his  ill  Ibrtune  made  him  not  bo 
regarded.  Our  passage  had  taken  up  more  time  than  had  been  e\- 
pcci  d.  b\  reason  of  the  calms  ;  there  \\  as  a  considerable  number  o( 
men  aboard  the  Jolv,  and  provisions  if  row  short,  insomuch  that  they 
-aM  it  would  not  hold  out.  to  return,  it' our  departure  were  delayed. 
For  \\\\<  reason  M.  de  I5eau|(iu  demanded  provisions  ol  M.  de  la 
Salle;  but  he  asking  enough  lor  a  long  time.  M.  de  la  Saile  ai:- 
•  could  -ii'v  [five  him  enough  !or  a  fortnight,  which  wa- 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  101 

more  time  than  was  requisite  to  reach  the  place  he  intended  to  return 
to  ;  and  that  besides  he  could  not  give  him  more  provisions,  without 
rummaging  all  the  stores  to  the  bottom  of  the  hold,  which  would  en- 
danger his  being  cast  away.  Tims  nothing  was  concluded,  and 
M.  tie  Beaujeu  returned  to  his  own  ship. 

In  the  meantime,  want  of  water  began  to  pinch  us,  and  M.  de  la 
Salle  resolved  to  send  to  look  for  some  about  the  next  river.  Ac- 
cordingly he  ordered  the  two  boats  that  had  been  made  ready  the 
day  before,  to  go  off.  He  was  aboard  one  of  them  himself,  and  di- 
rected me  to  follow  him.  M.  de  Beaujeu  also  commanded  his  boat 
to  go  for  woou.  By  the  way.  we  met  the  said  Sieur  de  Beaujeu  in 
his  yawl  returning  from  land,  with  the  Sieur  Minet,  an  engineer,  who 
told  us  they  had  been  in  a  sort  of  salt  pool,  two  or  three  leagues  from 
the  place  \vhere  the  ships  were  at  anchor ;  we  Jield  on  our  way  and 
landed. 

One  of  our  boats,  which  was  gone  ahead  of  us,  had  been  a  league 
and  a  half  up  the  river,  without  finding  any  fresh  water  in  its  chan. 
nel  ;  but  some  men  wandering  about  to  the  right  and  left,  had  met 
with  divers  rivulets  of  very  ^ood  water,  wherewith  many  casks  were 
filled. 

We  lav  ashore,  and  our  hunters  having  that  day  killed  a  good 
store  of  ducks,  bustards,  and  teal,  and  the  next  day  two  goats,  M.  de 
la  Salle  sent  .M.  de  Beaujeu  part.  We  feasted  upon  the  rest,  and 
that  good  sport  put  several  gentlemen  that  wore  then  aboard  M.  de 
Beaujeu,  among  whom  were  ,M.  du  Ifainel.  the  ensign  and  the 
king's  clerk,  upon  coming  ashore  to  partake  of  the  diversion  ;  but 
they  took  much  pains  and  were  not  successful  in  their  sport. 

In  the  meantime  many  casks  were  filled  with  water,  as  well  for 
our  ship  as  for  M.  de  Beaujeu's.  Some  days  after  M.  d'Aire,  the 
lieutenant,  came  ashore  to  confer  wiih  M.  de  la  Salle,  and  to  know 
how  he  would  manage  about  the  provisions  ;  but  both  of  them  per- 
sisting in  their  first  proposals,  and  M.  de  la  Salle  perceiving  that  M. 
de  Beaujeu  would  not  be  satisfied  with  provisions  for  fifteen  days, 
which  he  thought  suflicient  to  go  to  the  place  where  he  expected  to 
find  one  of  the  branches  of  the  .Mississippi,  which  he  with  good  rea- 
son believed  to  be  about,  the  shoals  I  have  before  spoken  of.  nothing 
was  concluded  as  to  that  atll-iir.  M.  d'Aire  returned  to  his  captain, 
and  .M.  de  la  Salle  resolved  to  land  his  men  ;  which  could  not  be 
clone  for  some  days,  because  of  the  foul  weather  ;  but  in  the  mean- 
time we  killed  much  game. 

During  this  little  interval,  M.  de  la  Salle  being  impatient  to  get 


102  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

some   Intel  licence  of  what  he  sought  after,  resolved  to  GO  himself 

o  o  J  <-- 

upon  discovery,  and  to  seek  out  some  more  useful  and  commodious 
river  than  that  where  they  were.  To  this  purpose  lie  took  live  or 
.six  of  us  along  with  him.  We  set  out  one  morning  in  so  thick  a  fog, 
that  the  hindmost  could  not  perceive  the  track  of  the  foremost,  so 
that  we  lost  M.  de  la  Salle  for  some  time. 

We  travelled  till  ahout  three  in  the  afternoon,  finding  the  country 
for  the  most  part  sandy,  little  grass,  no  fresh  water,  unless  in  some 
sloughs,  the  track  of  abundance  of  wild  goats,  lakes  full  of  ducks, 
teals,  water-hens,  and  having  taken  much  pains  returned  without 
success. 

The  next  morning  M.  de  la  Salle's  Indian,  going  ahout  to  find  wild 
goats,  came  to  a  lake  which  had  a  little  ice  upon  it,  the  weather 
being  cold,  and  abundance  of  fish  dying  about  the  edges  of  it.  Tie 
came  to  inform  us;  we  went  to  make  our  provision  of  them,  there 
were  some  of  a  prodigious  magnitude,  and  among  the  rest  extraor- 
dinary large  trouts,  or  else  they  were  some  sort  of  fish  very  like 
them.  We  caused  some  of  each  of  a  sort  to  be  boiled  in  salt  water, 
and  found  them  very  good.  Thus  having  plenty  of  fish  and  flesh. 
we  began  to  use  ourselves  to  cat  them  both  without  bread. 

Whilst  we  lived  thus  easy  enough,  M.  de  la  Salle  expected  with 
impatience  to  know  what  resolution  M.  de  Bcaujeu  would  take,  that 
he  might  either  go  to  the  place  where  he  expected  to  find  the  Missis- 
sippi, or  follow  some  other  course  ;  but  at  last,  perceiving  that  his 
a  Hairs  did  not  advance,  he  resolved  to  put  his  own  design  in  execu- 
tion, the  purport  whereof  was  to  land  one  hundred  and  twenty,  or 
one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  to  go  along  the  coast,  and  continue  it 
till  they  had  found  some  other  river,  and  that  at  the  same  time  the 
bark  La  Belle  should  hold  the  same  course  at  sea.  still  keening  along 
the  coast,  to  relieve  those  ashore  in  time  of  need. 

Iff  gave  me  and  M.  Morangot.  his  nephew,  the  command  of  that 
small  company,  he  furnished  us  with  all  sorts  of  provisions  for  eight 
or  ten  days,  as  also  arms,  tools,  and  utensils,  we  might  have  occasion 
fir.  of  which  every  man  made  his  bundle.  I  Fe  also  iravo  us  \vritten 
instructions  of  what  we  were  to  do,  the  signals  we  were  to  make  : 
and  thus  we  set  out  on  the  -1th  of  February. 

We  took  our  way  along  the  shore.  Our  first  day's  journey  was 
ii"t  lonir  :  we  encamped  on  a  little  rising  ground,  heard  a  cannon 
shot,  which  made  us  uneasy,  made  the  signals  that  had  been  appoint- 
(  •].  ;ind  the  next  day.  bring  the  5th,  we  held  on  our  march.  M.  Afo- 
raniret  bringing  up  the  rear,  and  I  leading  the  van. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  103 

I  will  not  spend  time  in  relating  several  personal  accidents,  in- 
considerable in  themselves,  or  of  no  consequence,  the  most  considera- 
ble of  them  being  the  want  of  fresh  water  •  but  will  proceed  to  say, 
that  after  three  days'  march  we  found  a  great  river,  where  we  halted 
and  made  the  signals  agreed  on,  encamping  on  a  commodious  spot  of 
ground  till  we  could  hear  of  the  boat,  which  was  to  follow  us,  or  of 
our  ships. 

But  our  provisions  beginning  to  fall  short,  and  none  of  our  ships 
appearing,  being,  besides,  apprehensive  of  some  unlucky  accident  oc- 
casioned by  the  disagreement  between  M.  de  la  Salle  and  M.  de  Beau- 
jeu,  the  chief  of  our  company  came  together  to  know  what  resolu- 
tion we  should  take.  It  was  agreed  that  we  should  spare  our  provi- 
sions to  endeavor  to  goon  to  some  place  where  we  might  find  bullocks  ; 
but  it  was  requisite  to  cross  the  river,  and  we -knew  not  how,  because 
we  were  too  many  of  us;  and  therefore  it  was  decreed  to  set  some 
carpenters  there  were  among  us  at  work  to  build  a  little  boat,  which 
took  them  up  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  of  February. 

The  13th  we  were  put  out  of  our  pain  by  two  vessels  we  discover- 
ed at  sea,  which  we  knew  to  be  the  Joly  and  La  Belle,  to  whom  we 
made  our  signals  with  smoke.  They  came  not  in  then,  because  it 
was  late,  but  the  next  day,  being  the  14th,  in  the  morning,  the  boat, 
with  the  Sieur  Barbier,  and  the  pilot  of  the  bark  La  Belle,  came  up, 
and  both  sounded  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

They  sounded  on  the  bar  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  water,  and  within 
it  from  five  to  six  fathom  •  the  breadth  of  the  river  being  about  half 
a  quarter  of  a  league.  They  sounded  near  the  island,  which  lies 
between  the  two  points  of  the  bay,  and  found  the  same  depth.  The 
boat  of  the  Joly  came  and  sounded  on  the  other  side  of  the  channel, 
and  particularly  along  the  shoals,  I  know  not  to  what  purpose.  The 
same  day  M.  de  la  Salle,  for  whom  we  were  much  in  pain,  came 
also,  and  as  coon  as  he  arrived  he  caused  the  boat  to  be  laden  with 
such  provisions  as  we  stood  in  need  of,  but  the  wind  being  contrary, 
it  could  not  come  to  us  till  the  next  clay,  being  the  loth. 

That  same  day  M.  de  la  Salle  came  ashore  to  view  the  place  and 
examine  the  entrance  into  the  river,  which  he  found  to  be  very  good. 
Having  considered  all  particulars,  he  resolved  to  send  in  the  barks 
La  Belle  and  L'Aimable,  that  they  might  be  under  shelter,  to  which 
purpose  he  ordered  to  sound,  and  to  know  whether  those  two  vessels 
could  both  come  in  that  same  bay.  M.  de  Beaujeu  caused  also  the 
place  to  be  sounded,  and  lay  ashore  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
where  he  took  notice  there  were  vines  which  run  up  the  trees  like 


104  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS     OF    LOUISIANA. 

our  wall  vines,  some  woods,  and  the  carcasses  of  bullocks,  which  he 
supposed  to  have  died  with  thirst. 

The  10th,  the  pilots  of  the  Joly,  L'Aimable,  and  La  Belle,  went 
again  to  sound.  They  found  the  entrance  easy,  and  gave  it  under 
their  hands.  The  17th,  they  fixed  stakes  to  mark  out  the  way,  that 
the  vessels  might  come  safe  in.  All  things  seemed  to  promise  a  hap- 
py event. 

The  18th  the  Chevalier  d'Aire  came  ashore  to  confer  with  M.  de 
la  Salle,  who,  being  desirous  to  have  the  flyboat  L'Aimable  come  in 
that  day,  ordered  the  most  weighty  things  in  her  to  be  unloaded,  as 
the  cannon,  the  iron,  and  some  other  things.  It  was  my  good  fortune 
that  my  chest  stood  in  the  way,  and  was  also  unloaded,  but  that  un- 
lading could  not  be  done  till  the  next  day,  being  the  19th.  Thai 
being  performed,  the  Captain  affirmed  it  would  go  in  at  eight  feet 
water. 

The  20th  M.  de  la  Salle  sent  orders  to  that  Captain  to  draw  near 
the  bar,  and  to  come  in  at  high  water,  of  which  a  signal  should  be 
given  him  ;  he  also  ordered  the  pilot  of  the  bark  La  Belle  to  go  aboard 
the  flyboat,  to  be  assisting  when  it  came  in.  The  Captain  would  not 
receive  him  aboard,  saying  he  could  carry  in  his  ship  without  his 
help.  All  these  precautions  proved  of  no  use;  M.  de  la  Salle  could 
not  avert  his  ill  fate,  lie  having  taken  notice  of  a  large  tree  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  which  he  judged  fit  to  make  a  canoe,  sent  7  or  ^ 
workmen  to  hew  it  down,  two  of  whom  returned  some  time  after,  in 
a  ifrcat  fright,  and  told  him  they  had  narrowly  escaped  being  taken 
by  a  company  of  savages,  and  that  they  believed  the  others  hud  fallen 
into  their  hands.  _M.  de  la  Salle  ordered  us  immediately  to  handle 
our  arms,  and  to  march  with  drums  beating  against  the  savages,  who 
.seeing  us  in  that  posture,  faced  about  and  went  oil'. 

M.  de  la  Salle  being  desirous  to  join  those  savages,  to  endeavor  to 
iret  some  information  from  them,  ordered  ten  of  us  to  lay  down  our 
arms  and  draw  near  them,  making  signs  to  them  at  the  same  time,  to 
come  to  us.  \\  hen  they  saw  us  in  that  posture  and  unarmed,  most 
of  them  also  laid  down  their  bows  and  arrows  and  came  to  meet  us, 
caressing  us  after  their  manner,  and  stroking  first  their  own  breasts 
and  then  ours,  then  their  own  arms  and  afterwards  ours.  I!y  these 
siirns  they  nave  us  to  understand  that  thev  had  a  friendship  for  us. 
which  they  expressed  by  laying  their  hands  on  their  hearts,  and  we 
did  the  same  on  our  part. 

Six  or  seven  of  those  savages  went  along  with  us.  and  the  rest 
kept  three  of  our  men  in  the  nature  of  hostages.  Those  who  wen' 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  105 

with  us  were  made  much  of,  but  M.  de  la  Salle  could  learn  nothing 
of  them,  either  by  signs  or  otherwise;  all  they  could  make  us  under- 
stand was,  that  there  was  good  hunting  of  bullocks  in  the  country. 
We  observed  that  their  yea  consisted  in  a  cry,  fetched  from  the  bot- 
tom of  the  throat,  not  unlike  the  call  of  a  hen  to  gather  her  chickens. 
M.  de  la  Salle  gave  them  some  knives,  hatchets,  and  other  trifles,  with 
which  they  seemed  well  pleased,  and  went  away. 

M.  de  la  Salle  was  glad  to  be  rid  of  those  people,  because  he  was 
willing  to  be  present  when  the  flyboat  came  in  ;  but  his  ill  fate  would 
not  permit  it.  He  thought  fit  to  go  himself  along  with  those  savages, 
and  we  followed  him,  thinking  to  have  found  our  men  in  the  same 
place  where  we  left  them  ;  but  perceived,  on  the  contrary,  that  the 
savages  had  carried  them  away  to  their  camp,  which  was  a  league 
and  a  half  from  us,  and  M.  de  la  Sablonniere,  lieutenant  of  foot,  be- 
ing one  of  those  the  savages  had  taken  with  them,  M.  de  la  Salle 
resolved  to  go  himself  to  fetch  him  away,  an  unhappy  thought  which 
cost  him  dear. 

As  we  were  on  our  way  towards  the  camp  of  the  savages,  happen- 
ing to  look  towards  the  sea,  we  saw  the  flyboat  L'Aimable  under 
sail,  which  the  savages  who  were  with  us  admired,  and  M.  de  la 
Salle  observing  it  narrowly,  told  us  those  people  steered  wrong,  and 
were  standing  towards  the  shoals,  which  made  him  very  uneasy,  but 
still  we  advanced.  We  arrived  at  the  camp  of  the  savages,  which 
stood  upon  an  eminence,  and  consisted  of  about  fifty  cottages  made 
of  rush  mats,  and  others  of  dried  skins,  and  built  with  long  poles 
bowed  round  at  the  top,  like  great  ovens,  and  most  of  the  savages 
sitting  about,  as  if  they  were  upon  the  watch. 

We  were  still  advancing  into  the  village  when  we  heard  a  cannon- 
shot,  the  noise  whereof  struck  such  a  dread  among  the  savages,  that 
they  all  fell  flat  upon  the  ground  •  but  M.  de  la  Salle  and  we  were 
too  sensible  it  was  a  signal  that  our  ship  was  aground,  which  was 
confirmed  by  seeing  them  furl  their  sails  ;  however,  we  were  gone 
too  far  to  return,  our  men  must  be  had,  and  to  that  purpose  we  must 
proceed  to  the  hut  of  the  commander-in-chief. 

As  soon  as  we  arrived  there  M.  do  la  Salle  was  introduced  ;  many 
of  the  Indian  women  came  in,  they  were  very  deformed,  and  all  naked, 
excepting  a  skin  girt  about  them  which  hung  down  to  their  knees. 
They  would  have  led  us  to  their  cottages,  but  M.  de  la  Salle  had 
ordered  us  not  to  pait,  and  to  observe  whether  the  Indians  did  not 
draw  together,  so  that  we  kept  together,  standing  upon  our  guard* 
and  I  was  alwavs  with  him. 


106  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

They  brought  us  some  pieces  of  beef,  both  fresh  and  dried  in  the 
air  and  smoke,  and  pieces  of  porpoise,  which  they  cut  with  a  sort  of 
knife  made  of  stone,  setting  one  foot  upon  it  and  holding  with  one 
hand  whilst  they  cut  with  the  other.  We  saw  nothing  of  iron  among 
them.  They  had  given  our  men,  that  came  with  them,  to  eat,  and 
M.  de  la  Salle  being  extraordinary  uneasy  we  soon  took  leave  of 
them  to  return.  At  our  going  out  we  observed  about  forty  canoes, 
some  of  them  like  those  M.  de  la  Salle  had  seen  on  the  Mississippi, 
which  made  him  conclude  he  was  not  far  from  it. 

We  soon  arrived  at  our  camp,  and  found  the  misfortune  M.  de  la 
Salle  had  apprehended  was  but  too  certain.  The  ship  was  stranded 
on  the  shoals.  The  ill  management  of  the  captain,  or  of  the  pilot. 
\vho  had  not  steered  by  the  stakes  placed  for  that  purpose  ;  the  cries 
of  a  sailor  posted  on  the  main-top,  who  cried  amain,  -  luff,"  which 
was  to  steer  towards  the  passage  marked  out,  whilst  the  wicked  cap- 
tain cried  out  "  Come  no  nearer,"  which  was  to  steer  the  contrary 
course  ;  the  same  captain's  carelessness  in  not  dropping  his  anchor 
as  soon  as  the  ship  touched,  which  would  have  prevented  her  sticking 
aground  •  the  folly  of  lowering  his  main-sheet  and  hoisting  out  his 
sprit-sail,  the  better  to  fall  into  the  wind  and  secure  the  shipwreck  : 
the  captain's  refusing  to  admit  the  pilot  of  the  bark  La  Belle,  whom 
M.  de  la  Salle  had  sent  to  assist  him  ;  the  sounding  upon  the  shoals 
to  no  purpose,  and  several  other  circumstances  reported  by  the  ship's 
crew,  and  those  who  saw  the  management,  were  infallible  tokens  and 
proofs  that  the  mischief  had  been  done  designedly  and  advisedly. 
which  was  one  of  the  blackest  and  most  detestable  actions  that  man 
could  be  guilty  of. 

This  misfortune  was  so  much  the  greater,  because  that  vessel 
contained  almost  all  the  ammunition,  utensils,  tools,  and  other  neces- 
saries for  M.  dc  la  Salle's  enterprise  and  settlement.  lie  had  need 
of  all  his  resolution  to  bear  up  against  it  ;  but  his  intrepidity  did  not 
forsake  him,  and  he  applied  himself,  without  grieving,  to  remedy 
what  might  be.  All  the  men  were  taken  out  of  the  ship  ;  he  desired 
M.  de  Heaujeu  to  lend  him  his  long  boat,  to  help  save  as  much  as 
might  be.  We  began  with  powder  and  meal.  About  thirty  hogs- 
heads of  wine,  and  brandy  were  saved,  and  fortune  being  incensed 
against  us.  two  things  contributed  to  the  total  loss  of  all  the  rest. 

The  first  was.  that  our  boat  which  hung  at  the  stern  of  the  ship 
run  aground,  was  maliciously  staved  in  the  night,  so  that  we  had 
none  left  but  M.  de  ]>eaujcu's.  The  second,  that  the  wind  blowing 
in  from  the  oiling  made  the  waves  run  hi'di,  which  beating  violently 

o  n     s  o  * 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  107 

against  the  ship  split  her,  and  all  the  light  goods  were  carried  out  at 
the  opening  by  the  water.  This  last  misfortune  happened  also  in  the 
night.  Thus  everything  fell  out  most  unhappily,  for  had  that  befal- 
len in  the  day  abundance  of  things  might  have  been  saved. 

Whilst  we  were  upon  this  melancholy  employment,  about  a  hun- 
dred or  a  hundred  and  twenty  of  the  natives  came  to  our  camp  with 
their  bows  and  arrows.  M.  de  la  Salle  ordered  us  to  handle  our 
arms  and  stand  upon  our  guard.  About  twenty  of  those  Indians 
mixed  themselves  among  us  to  observe  what  we  had  saved  of  the 
shipwreck,  upon  which  there  were  several  sentinels  to  let  none  come 
near  the  powder. 

The  rest  of  the  Indians  stood  in  parcels,  or  pelctons.  M.  de  la 
Salle,  who  was  acquainted  with  their  ways,  ordered  us  to  observe 
their  behavior,  and  to  take  nothing  from  them,  which  nevertheless 
did  not  hinder  some  of  our  men  from  receiving  some  pieces  of  meat. 
Some  time  after,  when  the  Indians  were  about  departing,  they  made 
signs  to  us  to  go  a  hunting  with  them  ;  but,  besides  that  there  was 
sufficient  cause  to  suspect  them,  we  had  enough  other  business  to  do, 
However,  we  asked  whether  they  would  barter  for  any  of  their 
canoes,  which  they  agreed  to.  The  Sieur  Barbier  went  along  with 
them,  purchased  two  for  hatchets,  and  brought  them. 

Some  days  after,  we  perceived  a  fire  in  the  country,  which  spread 
itself  and  burnt  the  dry  weeds,  still  drawing  towards  us;  whereupon 
M.  de  la  Salle  made  all  the  weeds  and  herbs  that  were  about  us  be 
pulled  up,  and  particularly  all  about  the  place  where  the  powder  was. 
Being  desirous  to  know  the  occasion  of  that  fire,  he  took  about  twen- 
ty of  us  along  with  him,  and  we  marched  that  way,  and  even  beyond 
the  fire,  without  seeing  anybody.  We  perceived  that  it  run  towards 
the  W.  S.  W.,  and  judged  it  had  begun  about  our  first  camp,  and  at 
the  village  next  the  fire. 

Having  spied  a  cottage  near  the  bank  of  a  lake,  we  drew  towards 
it,  and  found  an  old  woman  in  it,  who  fled  as  soon  as  she  saw  us  ;  but 
having  overtaken  and  given  her  to  understand  that  we  would  do  her 
no  harm,  she  returned  to  her  cottage,  where  we  found  some  pitchers 
of  water,  of  which  we  all  drank.  Some  time  after  we  saw  a  canoe 
coming,  in  which  were  two  women  and  a  boy,  who  being  landed,  and 
perceiving  we  had  done  the  old  woman  no  harm,  came  and  embraced 
us  in  a  very  particular  manner,  blowing  upon  our  ears,  and  making 
signs  to  give  us  to  understand  that  their  people  were  a  hunting. 

A  few  minutes  after  seven  or  eight  of  the  Indians  appeared,  who, 
it  is  likely,  had  hid  themselves  among  the  weeds  when  they  saw  u? 


108  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

coming.  Being  come  up,  they  saluted  us  after  the  same  manner  as 
the  women  had  done,  which  made  us  laugh.  We  stayed  there  some 
time  with  them.  Some  of  our  men  bartered  knives  for  goats'  skins, 
after  which  we  returned  to  our  camp.  Being  come  thither,  M.  de  la 
Salle  made  me  go  aboard  the  hark  La  Belle,  where  he  had  embarked 
part  of  the  powder,  with  positive  orders  not  to  carry  or  permit  any 
fire  to  be  made  there,  having  sufficient  cause  to  fear  everything  after 
what  had  happened.  For  this  reason  they  carried  me  and  all  that 
were  with  me,  our  meat  every  clay. 

During  this  time  it  was  that  L'Aimable  opening  in  the  night,  the 
next  morning  we  saw  all  the  light  things  that  were  come  out  of  it 
floating  about,  and  M.  de  la  Salle  sent  men  every  way,  who  gathered 
up  about  30  casks  of  wine  and  brandy,  and  some  of  flesh,  meal,  and 
grain. 

When  we  had  gathered  all,  as  well  what  had  been  taken  out  of  the 
shipwrecked  vessel  as  what  could  be  picked  up  in  the  sea,  the  next 
thing  was  to  regulate  the  provisions  we  had  left  proportionally  to  the 
number  of  men  we  were  ;  and  there  being  no  more  biscuit,  meal  was 
delivered  out,  and  with  it  we  made  hasty  pudding  with  water,  which 
was  none  of  the  best ;  some  large  beans  and  Indian  corn,  part  of 
which  had  taken  wet;  and  everything  was  distributed  very  discreet- 
ly. We  were  very  much  incommoded  for  want  of  kettles,  but  M.  de 
Beaujeu  gave  M.  de  la  Salle  one,  and  lie  ordered  another  to  be 
brought  from  the  bark  La  Belle,  by  which  means  we  were  all  served. 

We  were  still  in  want  of  canoes.  M.  dc  la  Salle  sent  to  the  camp 
of  the  Indians  to  barter  for  some,  and  they  who  went  thither  observed 
that,  those  people  had  made  their  advantage  of  our  shipwreck,  and 
had  some  bales  of  Normandy  blankets,  and  they  saw  several  women 
had  cut  them  in  two  and  made  petticoats  of  them.  They  also  saw 
bits  of  iron  of  the  ship  that  was  cast  away,  and  returned  immediately 
to  make  their  report  to  M.  de  la  Salle,  who  said  we  must  endeavor  to 
get  some  canoes  in  exchange,  and  resolved  to  send  thither  again  the 
next  day.  M.  du  Ilamel,  ensign  to  M.  de  Beaujeu,  oilered  to  go  up 
in  his  boat,  which  M.  de  la  Salle  agreed  to,  and  ordered  MM.  Moran- 
cet,  his  nephew,  Dcsloges,  Oris,  Gaycn,  and  some  others  to  bear  him 
company. 

No  sooner  were  those  gentlemen,  who  were  more  hot  than  wise, 
landed,  but  they  went  up  to  the  camp  of  the  Indians  with  their  arms 
in  their  hands,  as  if  they  had  intended  to  force  them,  whereupon  se- 
veral of  those  people  lied.  Going  into  the  cottages  they  found  others, 
'o  whom  M.  du  1 1  a  roe]  endeavored  to  signify  by  signs  that  he  would 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  109 

have  the  blankets  they  had  found  restored ;  but  the  misfortune  was, 
that  none  of  them  understood  one  another.  The  Indians  thought  it 
their  best  way  to  withdraw,  leaving  behind  them  some  blankets  and 
skins  of  beasts,  which  those  gentlemen  took  away,  and  finding  some 
canoes  in  their  return,  they  seized  two,  and  got  in  to  bring  them 
away. 

But  having  no  oars,  none  of  them  knowing  how  to  manage,  those 
canoes,  and  having  only  some  pitiful  poles,  which  they  could  not  tell 
the  right  use  of,  and  the  wind  being  also  against  them,  they  made 
little  way,  which  the  Sieur  clu  Hamel,  who  was  in  his  boat,  perceiv- 
ing, and  that  night  drew  on,  he  made  the  best  of  his  way,  forsook 
them,  and  returned  to  the  camp. 

Thus  night  came  upon  them,  which  obliged  those  inexperienced 
canoe-men,  being  thoroughly  tired,  to  go  ashore  to  take  some  rest,  and 
the  weather  being  cold,  they  lighted  a  fire,  about  which  they  laid 
them  down  and  fell  asleep ;  the  sentinel  they  had  appointed  doing 
the  same.  The  Indians  returning  to  their  camp,  and  perceiving  our 
men  had  carried  away  two  canoes,  some  skins,  and  blankets,  took  it 
for  a  declaration  of  war,  resolved  to  be  revenged,  and  discovering  an 
unusual  fire,  presently  concluded  that  our  men  had  halted  there.  A 
considerable  number  of  them  repaired  to  the  place,  without  making 
the  least  noise,  found  our  careless  people  fast  asleep,  wrapped  up  in 
their  blankets,  and  shot  a  full  volley  of  their  arrows  upon  them  alto- 
gether on  a  sudden,  having  first  given  their  usual  shout  before  they 
fall  on. 

The  Sieur  Moranget  awaking  with  the  noise,  and  finding  himself 
wounded,  started  up  and  fired  his  piece  successfully  enough  ;  some 
others  did  the  same,  whereupon  the  natives  fled.  The  Sieur  Moran- 
eet  came  to  "ive  us  the  alarm,  though  he  was  shot  through  one  of  his 

O  o  o  o 

arms,  below  the  shoulder,  and  had  another  slanting  wound  on  the 
breast.  M.  de  la  Salle  immediately  sent  some  armed  men  to  the 
place,  who  could  not  find  the  Indians,  but  when  day  appeared  they 
found  the  Sieurs  Oris  and  Desloges  dead  upon  the  spot,  the  Sieur 
Gayen  much  hurt,  and  the  rest  all  safe  and  sound. 

This  disaster,  which  happened  the  night  of  the  5th  of  March,  very 
much  afilicted  M.  de  la  Salle  ;  but  he  chiefly  lamented  M.  Desloges, 
a  sprightly  youth,  who  served  well  •  but  in  short,  it  was  their  own 
fault,  and  contrary  to  the  charge  given  them,  which  was  to  be 
watchful;  and  upon  their  guard.  \Ve  were  under  apprehensions  for 
MM.  MoruMgct  and  Gayen,  lest  the  arrows  should  be  poisoned.  Ir 


110  HISTORICAL    COLLECTION    OF    LOUISIANA. 

afterwards  appeared  they  were  not;  however,  M.  Moranget's  cure 
proved  difficult,  because  some  small  vessel  was  cut. 

The  consequences  of  this  misfortune,  together  with  the  concern 
most  of  the  best  persons  who  had  followed  M.  do  la  Salle  were  under, 
supported  the  design  of  those  who  were  for  returning  to  France,  ami 
forsaking  him,  of  which  number  were  M.  Dainmavillc,  a  priest  of 
the  seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  the  Sieur  Minet,  engineer,  and  some 
others.  The  common  discourses  of  M.  de  la  Salle's  enemies  tending 
to  discredit  his  conduct,  and  to  represent  the  pretended  rashness  of 
his  enterprise,  contributed  considerably  towards  the  desertion  ;  but 
his  resolution  prevailing,  he  heard  and  waited  all  events  with 
patience,  and  always  gave  his  orders  without  appearing  the  least 
discomposed. 

He  caused  the  dead  to  be  brought  to  our  camp,  and  buried  them 
honorably,  tho  cannon  supplying  the  want  of  bells,  and  then  consi- 
dered of  making  some  safer  settlement.  lie  caused  all  that  had 
been  saved  from  the  shipwreck  to  be  brought  together  into  one 
place,  threw  up  intrenchments  about  it  to  secure  his  cilects,  and  per- 
ceiving that  the  water  of  the  river,  where  we  were,  rolled  down  vio- 
lently into  the  sea,  he  fancied  that  might  be  one  of  the  branches  oi 
the  Mississippi,  and  proposed  to  go  up  it,  to  see  whether  he  could  find 
any  tokens  of  it,  or  of  the  marks  he  had  left  when  he  went  down  by 
land  to  the  mouth  of  it. 

In  the  moan  time  M.  dc  Beaujeu  was  preparing  to  depart :  the 
Chevalier  dc  A  ire  had  many  conferences  with  M.  de  la  Salic  about 
several  things;  the  latter  demanded  of  M.  de  Beaujeu  particularly  the 
caiinon  and  ball  which  wen?  aboard  the  Joly,  and  had  been  designed 
lor  him,  which  -M.  de  Beaujeu  refused,  alleging  that  all  those  things 
lay  at  the  bottom  of  the  hold,  and  that  he  could  not  rummage  it 
without  evident  danger  of  perishing  ;  though,  at  the  same  time,  he 
knew  we  had  eight  pieces  of  cannon,  and  not  one  bullet. 

I  know  not  how  that  all'air  was  decided  between  them,  but  am  sure 
he  sullm-d  the  captain  of  the  ilyboat  L'Airnable  to  embark  aboard 
M.  do  Beaujeu,  though  he  deserved  to  be  most  severely  punished, 
had  justice  boon  done  him.  His  crew  followed  him,  contrary  to 
what  -M.  dc  Beaujeu  had  promised,  that  he  would  not  receive  a  man 
of  them.  All  'hat,  M.  de  la  Salle  could  do,  though  so  much  wronged, 
was  to  write  tn  Franco  to  M.  de  Saignelav,  minister  of  state,  whom 
he  acquainted  witb  all  the  particulars,  as  1  was  informed  when  I 
returned,  and  he  gave  the  packet  to  M .  de  Ueaujeu,  who  sailed  awa\ 
for  France. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  Ill 

Having  lost  the  notes  I  took  at  that  time,  and  being  forced  to  rely 
much  upon  memory  for  what  I  now  write,  I  shall  not  pretend  to  he 
any  longer  exact  in  the  dates,  for  fear  of  mistaking,  and  therefore  I 
cannot  be  positive  as  to  the  day  of  M.  de  Beaujeu's  departure,  but 
believe  it  was  the  14th  of  March,  1085. 

When  M.  de  Beaujeu  was  gone,  we  fell  to  work  to  make  a  fort  of 
the  wreck  of  the  ship  that  had  been  cast  away,  and  many  pieces  of 
timber  the  sea  threw  up  ;  and  during  that  time  several  men  deserted, 
which  added  to  M.  de  la  Salle's  ailliction.  A  Spaniard  arid  a 
Frenchman  stole  away  and  fled,  and  were  never  more  heard  of. 
Four  or  five  others  followed  their  example,  but  M.  de  la  Salle,  having 
timely  notice,  sent  after  them,  and  they  were  brought  back.  One  of 
them  was  condemned  to  death,  and  the  others  to  serve  the  King  ten 
years  in  that  country. 

When  our  fort  was  well  advanced,  M.  de  la  Salle  resolved  to  clear 
his  doubts,  and  to  go  up  the  river,  where  we  were,  to  know  whether 
it  was  not  an  arm  of  the  Mississippi,  and  accordingly  ordered  fifty 
men  to  attend  him,  of  which  number  were  M.  Cavelier,  his  brother, 
and  M.  Chedcville,  both  priests  ;  two  Recollet  Friars,  and  several 
volunteers,  who  set  out  in  five  canoes  we  had,  with  the  necessary  pro- 
visions. There  remained  in  the  fort  about  a  hundred  and  thirty 
persons,  and  M.  de  la  Salle  gave  me  the  command  of  it,  with  orders 
not  to  have  any  commerce  with  the  natives,  but  to  fire  at  them  if 
they  appeared. 

Whilst  M.  de  la  Salle  was  absent,  I  caused  an  oven  to  be  built,. 
which  was  a  great  help  to  us,  and  employed  myself  in  finishing  the 
fort,  and  putting  it  in  a  posture  to  withstand  the  Indians,  who  came  fre- 
quently in  the  night  to  range  about  us,  howling  like  wolves  and  dogs: 
but  two  or  three  musket  shots  put  them  to  flight.  It  happened  one 
night  that,  having  fired  six  or  seven  shot,  M.  de  la  Salle,  who  was 
not  far  from  us,  heard  them,  and  being  in  pain  about  it,  he  returnee1 
with  six  or  seven  men,  and  found  all  things  in  a  good  posture. 

lie  told  us  he  had  found  a  good  country,  fit  to  sow  and  plant  all 
sorts  of  grain,  abounding  in  beeves  and  wild  fowl  ;  that  he  designed 
to  erect  a  fort  farther  up  the  river,  and  accordingly  he  left  me  orders 
to  square  out  as  much  timber  as  I  could  get,  the  sea  casting  up 
much  upon  the  shore.  lie  had  given  the  same  orders  to  the  men  he 
had  left  on  the  spot,  seven  or  eight  of  whom,  detached  from  the  rest, 
being  busy  at  that  work,  and  seeing  a  number  of  the  natives,  fled, 
and  unadvisably  left  their  tools  behind  them.  M.  de  la  Salle 
returning  thither,  found  a  paper  made  fast  to  a  reed  which  gave  him 


112  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

notice  of  that  accident,  which  he  was  concerned  at,  because  of  the 
tools  ;  not  so  much  for  the  value  of  the  loss,  as  because  it  was 
furnishing  the  natives  with  such  things  as  they  might  afterwards 
make  use  of  against  us. 

About  the  beginning  of  April,  we  were  alarmed  by  a  vessel  which 
appeared  at  sea,  near  enough  to  discern  the  sails,  and  we  supposed 
they  might  be  Spaniards  who  had  heard  of  our  coming,  and  were 
ranging  the  coast  to  find  us  out.  That  made  us  stand  upon  our 
guard,  to  keep  within  the  fort,  and  see  that  our  arms  were  (it  for 
service.  AVe  afterwards  saw  two  men  in  that  vessel,  who,  instead 
of  coming  to  us,  went  towards  the  other  point,  and  by  that  means 
passed  on  without  perceiving  us. 

Having  one  day  observed  that  the  water  worked  and  bubbled  up. 
and  afterwards  perceiving  it  was  occasioned  by  the  fish  skipping 
from  place  to  place,  I  caused  a  net  to  be  brought,  and  we  took  a 
prodigious  quantity  of  fish  ;  among  which  were  many  dorados,  or 
gilt-heads,  mullets,  and  others  about  as  big  as  a  herring,  which 
afforded  us  good  food  for  several  days.  This  fishery,  which  I  caused 
to  be  often  followed,  was  a  great  help  towards  our  subsistence. 

About  that  time,  and  on  Edslcr-day  that  year,  an  unfortunate 
accident  befel  M.  le  CIros.  After  divine  service,  he  took  a  gun  to 
c;o  kill  snipes  about  the  fort.  He  shot  one,  which  fell  into  a  marsh  ; 
he  took  olf  his  shoes  and  stockings  to  fetch  it  out.  and  returning, 
through  carelessness  trod  upon  a  rattle-snake,  so  called,  because  it 
has  a  sort  of  scale  on  the  tail,  which  makes  a  noise.  The  serpent  bit 
him  a  little  above  the  ankle;  he  was  carefully  dressed  and  looked  after, 
yet  after  having  endured  very  much,  he  died  at  last,  as  I  shall  mention 
in  its  place.  Another  more  unlucky  accident  befel  us,  one  of  our 
fishermen  swimming  about  the  net  to  gather  the  fish,  was  carried  away 
by  the  current,  and  could  not  be  helped  by  us. 

Our  men  sometimes  went  about  several  little  saltwater  lakes,  that 
were  near  our  fort,  and  (bund  on  the  banks  a  sort  of  flat  fishes,  like 
turbots.  asleep,  which  they  struck  with  sharp  pointed  sticks,  and  they 
were  u'ood  food.  Providence  also  showed  us  that  there  was  sail 
made  L>y  the  sun,  upon  several  little  salt  water  pools  there  were  iu 
divers  places,  tor  having  observed  that  there  grew  on  them  a  sort  of' 
white  substance,  like  the  cream  upon  milk,  I  took  care  every  day  to 
send  and  letch  that  scum  oil',  \\hich  proved  to  be  a  very  white  and 
Lfood  salt,  whereof  |  gathered  a  i[iianlilv.  and  it  did  us  u;ood  service. 

S .  nini  of  our  hunters  having  seen  a  parcel  of  wild  goats  running 
,t-  if  they  were  frighted,  judged  they  were  pursued  by  the  Indians, 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  113 

and  came  for  refuge  to  the  fort,  and  to  give  me  notice.  Accordingly 
some  time  after,  we  discovered  a  parcel  of  natives,  who  came  and 
posted  themselves  on  an  eminence,  within  cannon  shot ;  some  of  them 
drew  off  from  the  rest,  and  approached  the  fort  by  the  way  of  the 
downs.  I  caused  our  men  immediately  to  handle  their  arms,  and 
wet  blankets  to  be  laid  on  our  huts,  to  prevent  their  being  burnt  by 
the  fire  the  savages  sometimes  shoot  with  their  arrows.  All  this 
time  those  who  had  separated  themselves  from  the  rest,  being  three 
in  number,  still  drew  nearer,  making  signs  for  us  to  go  to  them  ;  but 
M.  de  la  Salle  had  forbidden  me  having  any  commerce  with  them ; 
however,  since  they  had  neither  bows  nor  arrows,  we  made  signs  to 
them  to  draw  near,  which  they  did  without  hesitating. 

We  went  out  to  meet  them,  M.  Moranget  made  them  sit  down,  and 
they  gave  us  to  understand  by  signs,  that  their  people  were  hunting 
near  us  ;  being  able  to  make  no  more  of  what  they  said,  M.  Moranget 
was  for  knocking  out  their  brains,  to  revenge  their  having  murdered 
our  companions,  but  I  would  not  consent  to  it,  since  they  had  come 
confiding  in  us.  I  made  signs  to  them  to  be  gone,  which  they  did  as 
fast  as  they  could,  some  small  shot  we  fired  into  the  air  making  them 
run,  and  a  cannon  shot,  I  pointed  towards  the  rising  ground,  where 
the  rest  were,  put  them  all  to  flight. 

These  accidents  made  us  double  our  guards,  since  we  were  at 
open  war  with  that  crafty  nation,  which  let  slip  no  opportunity  to 
surprise  us,  and  therefore  penalties  were  appointed  for  such  as  should 
be  found  asleep  upon  sentinel ;  the  wooden-horse  was  set  up  for  them 
without  remission  ;  and  by  means  of  such  precautions  we  saved  our 
lives. 

Thus  we  spent  the  rest  of  the  month,  till  the  beginning  of  June. 
In  the  meantime,  M.  de  la  Salle  had  begun  to  make  another  settle- 
ment, in  the  place  he  before  told  us  of,  looking  upon  it  as  better,  be- 
cause it  was  further  up  the  country.  To  that  purpose  lie  sent  to  us 
the  Sieur  de  Yilleperdry,  with  two  canoes  and  orders  for  the  Sieur 
Moranget  to  repair  to  him,  if  he  were  recovered,  and  that  all  the 
men  should  march,  except  thirty  of  the  ablest  to  make  a  good  de- 
fence, who  were  to  stay  with  me  in  the  fort.  The  rest  being  seventy 
persons,  as  well  men  and  women,  as  children,  set  out  with  the  Sieur 
Moranget  ;  and  we  being  but  a  small  number  remaining.  1  caused 
the  fort  to  be  brought  into  a  less  compass,  to  save  posting  so  many 
sentinels. 

Our  little  company  began  to  take  satisfaction  in  the  case  of  getting, 
and  the  nature  of  our  provisions,  which  a  greater  number  has  more 


114  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

difficulty  to  be  supplied  with,  and  which  we  had  plenty  of,  by  means 
of  hunting  and  fishing,  those  being  our  principal  employments,  and 
we  lived  well  enough  contented,  expecting  to  be  removed.  However, 
there  were  some  malecontents,  wrho  resolved  to  desert ;  but  finding  a 
difficulty  to  put  it  in  execution,  for  that  they  could  neither  get  arms. 
nor  powder,  nor  ball,  because  the  Sieur  le  Gros  and  I  kept  all  locked 
up,  and  were  very  vigilant,  that  none  might  be  lavishly  spent,  they 
took  the  cruel  resolution  to  rid  themselves  of  us. 

That  bloody  massacre  was  to  begin  by  me,  when  I  was  asleep, 
and  then  to  proceed  to  the  Sieur  le  Gros,  who  lay  in  the  magazine, 
or  warehouse,  and  was  in  no  condition  to  defend  himself,  because  his 
leg  was  still  swollen,  and  put  him  to  much  pain.  The  execution 
was  to  be  by  stabbing.  One  of  the  conspirators  revealed  this  to  the 
Sieur  Davault,  a  hunter,  who  immediately  came  and  acquainted  me. 
I  did  not  just  then  take  notice  of  what  I  had  been  told  ;  but  in  the 
evening,  when  they  returned  from  hunting,  I  caused  one  to  be  se- 
cured, who  presently  confessed  all.  His  accomplice  was  also  seized, 
and  it  was  very  troublesome  to  secure  them  till  the  time  when  we 
should  remove. 

About  the  middle  of  July,  the  bark  La  Belle  came  and  anchored 
near  us.  An  order  was  brought  me  from  M.  de  la  Salle,  directing 
me  to  put  aboard  it  all  the  effects  that  were  in  our  fort,  to  make  a 
float  of  the  timber  I  had  caused  to  be  squared,  if  time  would  permit, 
if  not,  to  bury  it  in  the  ground.  Every  man  set  his  hand  to  the 
work,  with  all  possible  diligence,  and  our  two  prisoners  were  put 
aboard,  as  was  also  M.  le  Gros  and  his  surgeon,  with  all  our  effects. 

The  float,  was  begun  with  immense  labor,  but  the  weather  proving 
very  stormy,  and  holding  very  long,  1  was  obliged  to  cause  what  had 
been  done  to  bo  taken  in  pieces,  and  to  bury  the  timber  in  the  sand, 
the  best  we  could,  that  the  natives  might  not  find  it. 

We  then  set  out  towards  the  place  where  the  Indians  had  been  en- 
camped, when  M.  de  la  Salle  went  the  first  time  to  see  them.  We 
found  no  creature,  and  lay  there  that  night,  and  so  proceeded  along 
the  sea  coast  without  any  accident  to  the  camp  of  Sieur  llurie,  which 
was  a  post  in  the  way,  where  M.  de  la  Salle  had  ordered  all  our 
effects  to  be  laid  up.  It  had  no  other  inclosure  but  chests  and  bar- 
rels, but  there  was  nothing  to  fear  from  the  Europeans. 

We  spent  the  night  at  that  post,  and  two  canoes  coming  thither  the 
next  morning  1  went  aboard  one  of  them  with  part  of  my  company, 
and  joined  M.  de  la  Salle  the  next  day  at  the  place  where  he  had 
resolved  to  make  his  new  settlement.  I  iiave  him  an  account  of  all 


JOUTEL  S    HISTORICAL    JOURNAL.  115 

that  had  happened,  and  was  amazed  to  see  things  so  ill  begun  and 
so  little  advanced.  As  for  the  plantation,  the  seed  and  grain  put  into 
the  ground  was  either  lost  through  drought  or  eaten  by  birds  or 
beasts.  There  were  several  dead,  and  among  them  the  Sieur  de 
Villeperdry  ;  many  sick,  and  of  that  number  M.  Cavelier,  the  priest; 
no  shelter  but  a  little  square  place  staked  in,  where  the  powder  was 
and  some  casks  of  brandy ;  many  other  inconveniences  there  were, 
which  made  all  things  appear  in  a  miserable  condition. 

It  was  requisite  to  think  of  building  a  large  lodgment  ;  M.  de  la 
Salle  designed  it,  but  the  difficulty  was  to  get  proper  timber  for  build- 
ing.  There  was  a  little  wood  where  a  good  quantity  might  be  had, 
but  it  was  a  league  up  the  country,  and  we  had  neither  carts  nor 
horses  to  carry  it ;  however,  M.  de  la  Salle  sent  workmen  thither, 
with  others  to  guard  them.  The  trees  were  cut  down  and  squared, 
but  the  carpenters  were  so  ignorant  that  M.  de  la  Salle  was  forced 
to  act  the  master-builder,  and  to  mark  out  the  pieces  for  the  work  he 
designed.  Some  of  those  pieces  of  timber  were  dragged  to  the 
camp  over  the  grass  and  weeds  the  plain  was  covered  with,  after- 
wards the  carriage  of  a  gun  was  made  use  of;  but  all  cost  so  much 
labor  that  the  ablest  men  were  quite  spent. 

This  excessive  toil,  the  poor  sustenance  the  laboring  men  had,  and 
that  often  retrenched  as  a  penalty  for  having  failed  in  doing  their 
duty,  the  uneasiness  M.  de  la  Salle  was  under  to  see  nothing  succeed 
as  he  had  imagined,  and  which  often  made  him  insult  the  men  when 
there  was  little  reason  for  it,  all  these  things  together  afflicted  very 
many  so  sensibly  that  they  visibly  declined,  and  above  thirty  died. 
The  loss  of  so  many  men  was  followed  by  that  of  the  master-carpen- 
ter, who  was  returning  one  evening  with  me,  but  I  happening  to  step 
aside  to  kill  some  wild  fowl,  when  I  came  to  our  habitation  I  found 
him  not.  and  it  was  never  known  what  became  of  him  ;  an  accident 
which  added  to  our  vexation,  for  though  he  had  but  little  skill  at  his 
trade,  yet  we  stood  in  need  of  him. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  disappointments,  enough  timber  was 
carried,  or  rather  dragged,  to  build  the  house  M.  de  la  Salle  designed, 
and  he  was  himself  the  architect.  He  marked  out  the  lengths,  the 
tenons  and  mortices,  and  made  good  the  defect  of  the  workmen  ;  and 
calling  to  mind  that  I  had  buried  several  pieces  of  timber  at  our  first 
habitation,  which  might  be  of  use,  he  ordered  me  to  take  two  canoes 
and  twenty  men  to  go  fetch  them  in  the  bark  La  Belle,  which  was 
with  us. 

Being  come  to  the  place,  we  found  the  natives  had  discovered  our 


116  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF     LOUISIANA. 

timber,  and  carried  away  some  planks,  to  pick  out  the  nails  there 
were  in  them,  which  they  value  very  much,  to  point  their  arrows. 
We  labored  to  make  a  float,  loaded  the  bark  La  Belle  with  the  rest 
of  the  planks  and  other  effects,  and  set  out  again.  Some  of  the  na- 
tives appeared  whilst  we  were  at  work,  but  seeing  us  advance  to- 
ward them,  with  our  arms  in  our  hands,  they  fled. 

We  returned  safe  to  M.  do  la  Salle,  who  was  glad  to  see  us,  though 
we  had  lost  one  of  the  canoes  for  want  of  its  being  well  made  fast  to 
the  float ;  but  the  timber  we  brought  was  a  mighty  help  towards  car- 
rvinT  on  his  design,  and  much  fitter  than  what  we  had  hewed  in  the 

^          o  i—*      ' 

wood  with  so  much  labor  ;  so  that  this  timber  occasioned  the  raising 
another  structure  contiguous  to  the  former.  All  was  covered  with 
planks,  and  bullocks'  hides  over  them.  The  apartments  were 
divided,  and  all  of  them  well  covered.  The  stores  had  a  place  apart, 
and  that  dwelling  had  the  name  of  St.  Louis  given  it,  as  well  as  the 
neighboring  bay. 

The  Sieur  le  Gros,  who  had  remained  aboard  the  bark  La  Belle  ever 
since  the  first  voyage  she  made  to  our  former  habitation,  was  carried 
ashore  to  the  new  one,  and  his  leg  still  swelling,  the  surgeon  was 
apprehensive  of  a  mortification,  and  advised  him  to  consent  to  have 
it  cut  oil'.  Pie  did  so,  though  with  regret :  the  operation  was  made, 
but  a  fever  followed  immediately,  and  he  lived  but  two  days,  dying 
on  the  feast  of  the  decollation  of  St.  John  Baptist,  much  lamented  bv 
all  the  men,  and  particularly  by  M.  de  la  Salle,  to  whom  he  was 
very  serviceable  by  reason  of  his  general  knowledge,  and  his  par- 
ticular fidelity  towards  him.  M.  Carpentier,  son  to  the  master  of  the 
works,  and  the  Sicur  Thibault,  both  of  Rouen,  and  some  others,  died 
about  the  same  time. 

M.  de  la  Salle  being  desirous  to  take  a  progress,  to  find  his  fatal 
Mississippi  River,  and  only  expecting  the  recovery  of  his  brother 
M.  Cavelier,  who  was  to  boar  him  company,  he  began  to  make  some 
preparations  towards  it.  and  in  the  meantime  took  some  small  jour- 
neys of  four  or  five  leagues  about,  but  could  learn  nothing  further 
1han  that  it  was  a  very  fine  c-ounlry.  hemmed  in  on  our  side  by  a 
small  mountain  which  appeared  at  about  fifteen  or  twenty  leagues 
distance,  beautified  with  very  fine  trees,  and  watered  by  many  little 
rivers,  whereof  that  on  which  we  had  built  our  habitation  was  the 
leas'.  We  called  it  La  Riviere  aux  I'xrufs.  that  is.  the  Riser  of 
llullocks.  by  rea-ou  of  the  great  number  of  them  there  was  about  it. 
Tli",-'  bullocks  are  \i-ry  like  ours:  there  arc  thousands  of  them,  but 
instead  of  hair  thev  ha\e  ;i.  vcrv  lonir  curled  sort  of  wool. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  117 

M.  de  la  Salle  studying  all  ways  to  find  out  the  river  Mississippi, 
imagined  it  might  fall  into  the  adjacent  Lay,  and  resolved  to  go  view 
all  the  coasts  about  it,  and  to  make  use  of  the  bark  La  Belle.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  ordered  me  to  repair  to  the  said  bark,  with  five  men 
and  a  canoe,  into  which  he  put  his  clothes  and  other  eiFects  in  several 
chests. 

That  short  voyage  was  very  troublesome  to  us,  by  reason  of  the 
foul  weather,  with  contrary  winds  and  storms,  which  had  like  to  have 
overwhelmed  us  ;  and  what  was  still  worse,  we  did  not  find  the  bark 
where  we  had  left  her.  We  went  on  a  league  further  to  no  purpose, 
and  provisions  beginning  to  fall  short,  because  we  had  been  six  days 
on  the  way,  instead  of  three,  we  resolved  to  return  to  the  place  from 
whence  we  came. 

M.  de  la  Salle  seeing  us  return  at  a  distance,  came  to  meet  us. 
Our  report  troubled  him  for  the  bark,  which  he  stood  in  need  of,  so 
that  lie  resolved  to  go  himself  to  seek  her.  He  embarked  in  a  canoe, 
and  sent  me  another  way,  in  another.  After  having  wandered  about 
all  that  day,  and  the  next  night,  and  the  day  following,  we  at  last  per- 
ceived her,  where  she  lay  under  shelter  in  a  little  creek,  having  been 
in  danger  of  perishing  by  the  foul  weather  we  had  been  in,  and  had 
lost  her  boat,  which  was  not  well  made  fast. 

The  bark  was  also  discovered  by  M.  de  la  Salle,  who  was  on  the 
other  side,  which  made  him  draw  near  and  land,  whence  he  sent  his 
canoe  to  the  said  bark,  and  M.  Moranget,  who  commanded  it,  went 
aboard  to  meet  him.  The  loss  of  the  boat  troubled  M.  de  la  Salle. 
I  sent  a  canoe  to  bring  him,  but  to  no  purpose  ;  however,  the  trunks 
were  put  aboard  the  bark. 

M.  Cavalier,  the  priest,  being  recovered.  M.  de  la  Salle  prepared 
to  set  out  with  all  speed.  He  was  pleased  to  honor  me  with  the 
command  during  his  absence,  and  left  me  an  inventory  of  all  that 
was  in  our  habitation,  consisting  of  eight  pieces  of  cannon,  two  hun- 
dred firelocks,  as  many  cutlasses,  a  hundred  barrels  of  powder, 
three  thousand  weight  of  balls,  about  three  hundred  weight  of  other 
lead,  some  bars  of  iron,  twenty  packs  of  iron  to  make  nails,  some  iron 
work  and  tools,  as  hatchets  and  the  like. 

As  for  provisions,  all  that  were  left  me  amounted  to  twenty  casks 
of  meal,  one  cask  and  a  half  of  wine,  three-quarters  of  a  cask  of 
brandy,  and  for  living  creatures  some  fe\v  swine,  a  cock,  and  a  hen  ; 
which  is  very  short  of  what  has  been  published  by  the  author  of  a 
book  entitled,  '•  The  First  Establishment  in  Xew  France  :':  but  the 
reason  yf  it  Ls.  that  he  compiled  his  work  upon  the  credit  of  relations. 


118  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

which  were  as  false  as  to  the  point  of  the  ammunition  and  provisions 
remaining  in  our  habitation  when  M.  de  la  Salle  set  out  that  time,  as 
concerning  the  fort  well  conditioned,  and  the  magazines  or  storehouses 
under  ground,  which  are  all  imaginary,  there  being  nothing  but  the 
house  I  have  mentioned,  palisaded  with  some  old  stakes. 

M.  de  la  Salle  farther  ordered  me  not  to  receive  any  man  of  those 
he  took  along  with  him,  unless  they  brought  an  order  from  him  in 
writing  ;  nor  to  hold  or  admit  of  any  communication  with  the  natives, 
but  rather  to  fire  upon  them,  and  some  other  particulars  he  thought 
fit  to  be  observed.  He  had  made  himself  a  coat  of  mail  with  small 
laths,  to  secure  himself  against  the  arrows,  which  he  took  along  with 
him  ;  he  also  took  the  canoes,  and  promised  to  send  me  one  back. 
Five  cannon  shots  were  the  signal  of  his  departure. 

He  took  his  way  along  the  lower  part  of  the  river,  to  march  by 
land  along  the  neighboring  bay,  which  was  called  of  St.  Louis,  the 
canoes  keeping  within  sight.  I  was  left  in  the  habitation  witli  thirty. 
four  persons,  men,  women,  and  children,  and  of  that  number  were 
three  Recollet  Friars,  the  Sieur  Hurie,  who  was  to  command  in  my 
absence,  one  of  the  Sieurs  Duhaut,  the  Sieurs  Thibault,  and  a  sur- 
geon. 

Our  provisions  being  very  small,  and  it  being  requisite  to  spare 
them  for  the  sick,  we  were  obliged  to  apply  ourselves  to  fishing  and 
shooting.  Both  of  them  at  first  proved  very  unsuccessful,  especially 
the  latter,  because  we  were  not  yet  well  versed  in  them,  and  M.  de 
la  Salle  had  taken  our  huntsman  along  with  him  ;  but  at  length  ne- 
cessity made  us  more  expert.  We  killed  beeves,  some  of  which  I 
caused  to  be  dried,  and  they  were  a  considerable  help  to  subsist  us. 

Some  days  after,  the  canoe  M.  de  la  Salic  had  promised  me.  arrived 
with  three  soldiers,  who  brought  us  the  news  of  the  loss  of  the  hunts- 
man M.  de  la  Salle  had  taken  with  him,  and  who  had  boon  found 
dead  with  cold  in  a  ditch,  where  he  had  lain  down  to  rest  after  hunt- 
ing, which  troubled  us  all  very  much.  They  also  informed  us  that 
M.  de  la  Salle,  advancing  towards  some  dwellings  the  natives  had 
abandoned  after  a  small  resistance,  some  of  whom  had  been  wounded 
as  they  fled,  they  had  taken  and  brought  a  girl  and  a  woman,  who 
was  shot  through  the  thigh,  of  which  she  died. 

The  canoe,  was  a  great  help  to  us  to  carry  what  we  killed,  which 
being  brought  to  our  habitation,  found  employment  for  all  persons, 
some  to  flay,  others  to  cut  up,  and  others  to  dry  it.  At  other  times 
1  set  some  of  our  men  to  throw  up  a  trench  about  our  habitation. 

Thus  we  spent  our  time  till  about  the  middle  of  January.  1030. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  119 

when,  being  all,  one  evening,  in  our  mansion,  the  sentinel  came  in  to 
acquaint  me  that  he  heard  a  voice  towards  the  river.  Some  men 
ran  thither  immediately,  and  found  a  man  in  a  canoe,  crying  Domi- 
nick,  which  was  the  name  of  young  Duliaut,  who  was  with  us.  The 
sight  of  that  made  me  apprehensive  lest  some  disaster  was  befallen 
M.  de  la  Salle.  I  drew  near  and  perceived  it  was  Duhaut  the  elder 
that  was  returned. 

I  asked  him  whether  he  had  any  letters  from  M.  de  la  Salle;  he  an- 
swered he  had  not.  It  gave  me  some  uneasiness,  considering  I  was 
forbid  admitting  any  man  without  an  order  in  writing,  and  I  was  almost 
resolved  to  secure  him  ;  but  the  account  he  gave  me  of  the  occasion  of 
his  returning,  wholly  cleared  him.  I  admitted  him,  and  he  told  me 
the  whole  matter,  as  follows  : 

M.  de  la  Salle,  having  stayed  some  time  on  the  sea  shore,  near  the 
place  where  the  bark  was  at  anchor,  he  resolved  to  try  the  anchor- 
ing places  of  the  coasts  round  about,  to  know  how  near  the  bark  La 
Belle  might  come.  To  that  purpose  he  sent  the  pilot  with  five  of  the 
best  men  to  sound. 

The  pilot  did  as  he  was  ordered,  he  sounded  and  observed  the  pro- 
per places  to  come  near  several  coasts.  At  night  he  and  his  men 
being  in  all  likelihood  tired,  they  thought  fit  to  go  ashore  and  lie 
upon  the  land.  They  made  a  fire,  perhaps  to  dress  some  meat,  but 
neglecting  to  stand  upon  their  guard  they  were  surprised,  and  all  six 
of  them  killed  by  the  savages  ;  who  also  broke  their  canoe,  and  thus 
avenged  themselves  for  the  irruption  M.  de  la  Salle  had  lately  made 
among  them. 

More  time  being  elapsed  than  M.  de  la  Salle  had  allotted  those 
men  to  return,  he  grew  uneasy  and  went  himself  along  the  coast,  to 
see  if  any  news  could  be  had  of  them,  and  keeping  along  the  shore 
he  found  the  sad  remains  of  those  unfortunate  wretches,  whose  car- 
cases, scattered  about,  were  torn  and  almost  devoured  by  wolves  or 
wild  dogs,  a  spectacle  which  went  to  his  heart. 

However,  this  loss  which  afflicted  him.  and  particularly  for  the 
sake  of  the  pilot,  who  was  an  able  man.  did  not  quite  cast  him  down  ; 
but  exerting  himself  against  his  misfortunes  he  caused  flesh  to  be 
dried,  and  with  that  and  the  other  provisions  he  victualled  the  bark 
La  Belle.  He  caused  it  to  advance  into  the  bay,  put  a  good  number 
of  men  on  board  to  secure  it,  among  whom  were  M.  Chedeville,  the 
priest,  and  Planterose  of  Rouen,  and  ordered  them  not  to  stir  from 
that  place  till  they  heard  from  him,  and  not  to  go  ashore,  unless  with 
a  good  guard  and  necessary  precautions. 


120  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS     OF    LOUISIANA. 

Next,  he  chose  out  twenty  men,  embarked  on  t\vo  canoes  he  had 
left,  and  being  come  ashore,  caused  the  canoes  to  be  sunk  in  the 
river,  and  every  man  to  take  up  his  bundle,  consisting  of  arms,  tools, 
some  utensils  for  the  kitchen,  a  few  goods  to  trade  with  the  natives, 
if  he  should  find  any  sociable,  and  so  advanced  into  the  country,  to 
try  if  any  notice  could  be  had  of  the  Mississippi. 

After  several  days'  march,  they  came  to  a  good  pleasant  river,, 
which  they  afterwards  called  La  Malignc.  M.  de  la  Salic  marching 
at  the  head  of  the  company,  and  having  ordered  M.  Moranget  to  keep 
in  the  rear,  it  happened  that  Duhaut  stopping  to  mend  his  knapsack 
and  shoes  which  were  in  a  bad  condition,  the  Sieur  Moranget  coming 
up,  commanded  him  to  march  ;  he  desired  him  to  stay  a  little,  Moran- 
get would  not,  but  held  on  his  way.  Duhaut  followed  some  time  after, 
but  having  stayed  too  long,  he  could  not  overtake  the  company,  and 
found  himself  about  night-fall  in  a  plain  full  of  weeds,  where  there 
were  several  tracks  the  way  cattle  had  gone,  but  knew  not  which  of 
them  to  take.  lie  fired  his  piece  several  times  without  hearing  any- 
thing of  his  company,  and  was  obliged  lo  pass  the  night  in  that  same 
place. 

In  the  morning  he  shot  again,  spent  the  day  and  night  again  in 
that  place,  so  that  not  knowing  what  to  do,  he  returned  the  same  way 
he  had  gone,  and  after  a  month's  march,  for  he  travelled  only  by 
night,  for  fear  of  meeting  with  the  savages,  living  upon  what  he 
killed  with  much  difficulty  and  danger,  having  before  spent  all  his 
own  provisions,  at  length,  after  most  unaccountable  hardships  and  suf- 
ferings, he  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  canoes  had  been  sunk. 
lie  took  one  of  them  up,  with  incredible  labor,  and  too  long  to  relate,, 
and  so  came  to  uur  habitation  of  St.  Louis.  Thus  it  pleased  God 
that  lie  who  was  to  be  one  of  the  murderers  of  M.  de  la  Salle,  should 
come  off  safe,  and  surmount  almost  infinite  dangers. 

This  account,  which  seemed  to  carry  the  face  of  probability,  pre- 
vailed with  me  to  receive  the  Sieur  Duhaut,  and  in  reality  I  could  d_» 
no  otherwise,  and  I  made  it  my  business  to  examine  into  his  beha- 
vior, but  could  find  nothing  to  lay  to  his  charge.  We  continued 
some  time  longer  as  we  had  been  before  ;  during  which,  [  caused 
another  little  wooden  structure  to  be  made  of  timber  1  bud  got  together, 
and  in  it  I  lodged  the  women  and  maidens  by  themselves.  Having 
hitherto  said  nothing  of  the  situation  of  our  dwelling  of  St.  Louis, 
nor  of  the  nature  of  the  countrv  we  were  in,  I  will  here  venture 
upon  a  plain  but  true  description. 

\\  "  were  in  about  the   '.'7th  decree  of  north    latitude,  two  league.- 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  121 

up  the  country,  near  the  bay  of  St.  Louis  and  the  bank  of  the  river 
aux  Boeufs,  on  a  little  hillock,  whence  we  discovered  vast  and  beau- 
tiful plains,  extending  very  far  to  the  westward,  all  level  and  full  of 
greens,  which  afford  pasture  to  an  infinite  number  of  beeves  and 
other  creatures. 

Turning  from  the  west  to  the  southward,  there  appeared  other 
plains  adorned  with  several  little  woods  of  several  sorts  of  trees. 
Towards  the  south  and  east  were  the  bay  and  the  plains  that  hem  it 
in  from  the  cast ;  to  the  northward  was  the  river  running  along  by  a 
little  hill,  beyond  which  there  were  other  large  plains,  with  some  little 
tufts  of  wood  at  small  distances  terminating  in  a  border  of  wood, 
which  seemed  to  us  to  be  very  high. 

Between  that  little  hill  and  our  dwelling,  was  a  sort  of  marsh,  and 
in  it  abundance  of  wild  fowl,  as  curlews,  water  hens  and  other  sorts. 
In  the  marsh  there  were  little  pools  full  of  fish.  We  had  also  an  infi- 
nite number  of  beeves,  wild  goats,  rabbits,  turkeys,  bustards,  geese, 
swans,  fieldfares,  plovers,  teal,  partridges  and  many  other  sorts  of  fowl 
fit  to  eat,  and  among  them  one  called  le  grand  gosier,  or  the  great  gullet, 
because  it  has  a  very  large  one  ;  another  as  big  and  fleshy  as  a  pul- 
let, which  we  called  the  spatula,  because  its  beak  is  shaped  like  one. 
and  the  feathers  of  it  being  of  a  pale  red,  are  very  beautiful. 

As  for  fish,  we  had  several  sorts  in  the  river  and  in  the  lakes  I  have 
mentioned.  The  river  afforded  a  sort  of  barbel,  differing  from  ours 
in  roundness,  in  their  having  three  bones  sticking  out,  one  on  the 
back,  the  others  on  each  side  of  the  head,  and  in  the  flesh,  which  is 
like  cod,  and  without  scales.  The  river  supplied  us  with  abundance 
of  other  fishes,  whose  names  we  know  not.  The  sea  afforded  us 
oysters,  eels,  trout,  a  sort  of  red  fishes  and  others,  whose  long,  sharp 
and  hard  beak  tore  all  our  nets. 

We  had  plenty  both  of  land  and  sea  tortoises,  whose  eggs  served 
to  season  our  sauces.  The  land  tortoises  differ  from  those  of  the 
sea,  as  being  smaller,  round,  and  their  shell  more  beautiful.  They 
hide  themselves  in  holes  they  find  or  make  hit  he  earth.  It  was  in 
looking  for  these  tortoises  that  one  of  our  surgeons  thrust  his  arm  into 
a  hole,  and  was  bit  by  some  venomous  creature,  which  we  supposed 
to  be  a  sort  of  toad,  having  four  feet,  the  top  of  his  back  sharp  and 
very  hard,  with  a  little  tail.  Whether  it  was  this  creature  or  a 
snake,  his  arm  swelled  very  much  ;  however,  he  was  cured  by 
such  applications  as  were  made  use  of,  but  it  cost  him  a  finger, 
which  was  cut  off. 

Among  the  venomous  sorts  of  snakes,  as  vipers,   asps  and  others. 


122  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

whereof  there  are  many,  those  called  rattle-snakes  are  the  most 
common.  They  generally  lie  among  the  brambles,  where  they  make 
a  noise  by  the  motion  of  two  scales  they  have  at  the  end  of  their  tail, 
which  is  heard  at  a  considerable  distance,  and  therefore  they  are 
called  rattle-snakes.  Some  of  our  men  had  eaten  of  them  and  found 
their  flesh  was  not  amiss,  and  when  we  had  killed  any  of  them,  our 
swine  made  a  good  meal. 

There  are  also  many  alligators  in  the  rivers,  some  of  them  of  a 
frightful  magnitude  and  bulk.  I  killed  one  that  was  between  four 
and  five  foot  about,  and  twenty  feet  in  length,  on  which  our  swine 
feasted.  This  creature  has  very  short  legs,  insomuch  that  it  rather 
drags  along  than  walks,  and  it  is  easy  to  follow  the  track  of  it,  either 
among  the  weeds  or  on  the  sands,  where  it  has  been.  It  is  very 
ravenous,  and  attacks  either  men  or  beasts  when  they  are  within 
reach  in  the  river,  and  comes  also  ashore  to  seek  for  food.  It  has 
this  particular  quality,  that  it  flies  from  such  as  pursue,  and  pursues 
those  who  fly  from  it.  I  have  shot  many  of  them  dead. 

The  woods  are  composed  of  trees  of  several  sorts.  There  are 
oaks,  some  of  them  ever-green  and  never  without  leaves;  others  like 
ours  in  Europe,  bearing  a  fruit  much  like  our  galls,  and  lose  their 
leaves  in  winter,  and  another  sort  not  unlike  ours  in  France,  but  the 
bark  of  them  thicker  ;  these  as  well  as  the  second  sort  bear  an  acorn, 
differing  from  ours  both  in  taste  and  bigness. 

There  is  a  sort  of  tree  which  bears  small  berries,  which,  when 
ripe,  are  red,  and  indifferent  pleasant.  It  bears  twice  a  year,  but 
the  second  crop  never  ripens.  There  is  another  tree,  bearing  a 
fruit  not  unlike  cassia,  in  taste  and  virtue. 

There  are  others  of  the  sort  I  had  seen  in  the  islands,  whose 
leaves  are  like  rackets,  whence  the  tree  bears  the  name.  The  blos- 
soms grow  out  about  the  leaves,  and  of  them  comes  a  fruit  somewhat 
resembling  figs,  but  the  leaves  and  the  fruit  are  full  of  prickles, 
which  must  be  carefully  rubbed  and  taken  off,  before  it  is  eaten, 
else  they  dangerously  inflame  the  mouth  and  the  throat,  and  may 
prove  mortal,  as  happened  to  one  of  our  soldiers,  who  had  eaten  of 
them  too  greedily,  and  without  that  precaution. 

I  have  seen  some  trees  resembling  the  palm,  whose  lofty  and  long 
branches  spread  like  that  called  the  latanier,  bearing  a  fruit  said  to 
be  indifferent  good.  Others  of  the  same  sort,  but  whose  leaves  are  like 
gutters,  harsh  and  so  sharp  pointed  that  they  will  pierce  the  thickest 
slulls.  This  tree  lias  a  sprout  on  the  top  which  shoots  out  flowers  in 
the  shape  of  a  nosegay,  of  a  whitish  yellow,  and  some  of  them  at 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  123 

the  top  of  that  sprout  have  sixty  or  eighty  flowers  hanging  down,  not 
unlike  the  flower  de  luce,  and  after  those  flowers  follows  a  fruit  as 
long  as  a  man's  finger,  and  thicker  than  the  thumb,  full  of  little 
seeds,  so  that  there  is  scarce  anything  but  the  rind  fit  to  eat,  the 
taste  whereof  is  sweet  and  delicate. 

There  are  abundance  of  creeping  vines,  and  others  that  run  up  the 
bodies  and  to  the  tops  of  trees,  which  bear  plenty  of  grapes,  fleshy 
and  sharp,  riot  to  compare  to  the  delicacy  of  ours  in  Europe  ;  but 
we  made  verjuice  of  them,  which  was  very  good  in  sauce.  Mul- 
berry trees  are  numerous  along  the  rivers  ;  their  fruit  is  smaller,  but 
sweeter  and  more  delicious  than  ours ;  their  leaves  are  beautiful 
and  large,  which  would  be  of  good  use  for  feeding  of  silkworms. 

The  plains  are  strewed  with  a  sort  of  small  sorrel,  the  leaf  whereof 
is  like  trefoil,  and  the  taste  of  it  sharp  like  ours.  There  are  abun- 
dance of  small  onions  no  bigger  than  the  top  of  a  man's  finger,  but 
very  well  tasted,  and  when  the  heat  has  scorched  up  the  plains,  that 
plant  shoots  out  first,  and  produces  flowers  which  look  like  an  agree- 
able enamel.  Nothing  is  more  beautiful  than  to  behold  those  vast 
plains  when  the  blossoms  appear  ;  a  thousand  sorts  of  different 
colors,  whereof  many  have  an  agreeable  scent,  adorn  those  fields, 
and  afford  a  most  charming  object  to  the  eye.  I  have  observed 
some  that  smelt  like  a  tuberose,  but  the  leaf  resembles  our  borage. 
I  have  seen  primroses  having  a  scent  like  ours,  African  gilliflowers, 
and  a  sort  of  purple  wind  flowers.  The  autumn  flowers  are  almost 
all  of  them  yellow,  so  that  the  plains  look  all  of  that  color. 

The  climate  is  mild  and  temperate,  though  we  were  about  27°  of 
north  latitude,  and  yet  the  seeds  I  caused  to  be  sowed  did  not  thrive  ; 
whether  it  was  because  they  had  been  soaked  in  the  sea  water,  or 
for  any  other  reason.  Some  came  up  pretty  well,  as  pompions, 
melons,  parsnips  and  endive ;  but  the  beasts  and  the  insects  left  us 
not  much.  When  we  come  to  the  Cenis,  and  have  traversed  so 
many  nations  as  lay  between  us  and  them,  I  shall  speak  of  the  reli- 
gion, manners,  clothing,  houses,  and  customs  of  the  natives,  wherein 
they  ditfer  but  little  from  one  another,  though  of  several  countries. 

M.  de  la  Salle  had  been  now  long  gone,  and  we  began  to  be  in 
pain  for  him,  when,  about  the  middle  of  March,  1686,  happening  to 
be  on  the  top  of  the  house,  I  spied  seven  or  eight  persons  coming 
towards  us.  I  presently  ordered  eight  armed  men  to  follow  me,  to 
go  meet  them,  and  as  soon  as  we  drew  near  them  we  knew  M.  de  la 
Salle,  M.  Cavelier,  his  brother,  M.  Moranget,  his  nephew,  and  five  or 


124  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

six  men  with  them,  the  rest  being  gone  another  way  to  find  out  the 
bark  La  Belle,  to  give  notice  of  M.  de  la  Salle's  arrival. 

They  were  in  a  bad  condition,  their  clothes  ragged  ;  M.  Cavelier's 
short  cassock  hung  in  tatters  ;  most  of  them  had  not  hats,  and  their 
linen  was  no  better ;  however,  the  sight  of  M.  de  la  Salle  rejoiced 
us  all.  The  account  he  gave  us  of  his  journey  revived  our  hopes, 
though  he  had  not  found  the  fatal  river,  and  we  thought  only  of 
making  ourselves  as  merry  as  we  could.  Only  the  sight  of  the 
Sieur  Duhaut  interrupted  it  for  some  time.  M.  de  la  Salle  asked 
me  in  an  angry  manner,  why  I  had  received  him,  and  Duhaut  having 
given  his  reasons,  as  I  and  my  men  did,  we  were  all  satisfied. 

The  next  day,  the  Sieurs  le  Barbier,  Biborel,  Le  Petit,  Cavelier, 
the  nephew,  the  surgeon  and  others,  whom  M.  de  la  Salle  had  sent 
to  find  out  and  carry  advice  to  the  bark  La  Belle,  returned,  and  said 
they  could  not  find  her,  which  was  another  fresh  cause  of  much  un- 
easiness to  M.  do  la  Salle.  He  had  been  guilty  of  the  fault  of  put- 
ting aboard  her,  his  clothes,  his  linen,  his  papers,  and  all  his  best 
effects,  of  all  which  he  was  then  in  the  utmost  need.  Besides,  that 
loss  broke  all  the  measures  he  had  concerted  during  his  last  expedi- 
tion, because  he  had  resolved  to  cause  the  said  bark  to  go  up  one  of 
the  rivers  he  had  discovered,  to  advance  towards  those  nations,  with 
whom  he  had  contracted  some  friendship,  and  to  send  me  in  the  same 
bark,  with  his  nephew  Moranget.  to  the  islands  to  seek  for  some 
assistance,  or  else  to  return  by  sea  to  look  for  his  river. 

All  these  designs  being  disappointed,  he  resolved  to  set  out  a 
second  time,  and  travel  by  land,  to  find  out  his  river.  lie  stayed  to 
rest  him  a  while,  and  to  provide  for  his  departure,  but  having  neither 
linen  nor  clothes,  1  supplied  him  with  some  I  had  ;  I  also  afforded 
some  linen  to  M.  Cavelier,  his  brother,  and  M.  Moranget,  his  nephew. 
All  1  had  was  at  their  service,  and  1  deprived  myself  of  all  that  was 
fit  for  them,  even  to  ten  or  twelve  pounds  of  strings  of  beads,  and 
some  knives  and  nails,  which  M.  de  la  Salle  took. 

The  Sieur  Duhaut,  having  several  effects,  as  linen,  hatchets,  and 
other  tools  and  commodities,  which  had  been  saved  from  the  ship- 
wreck, ~M.  de  la  Salic  took  linen  to  make  shirts,  for  such  as  wanted, 
as  also  the  tools  they  stood  in  need  of.  The  clothes  belonging  to 
MM.  Thibault.  Le  Gros,  and  Carpentier,  who  were  dead,  were  also 
distributed.  A  great  belt  I  had,  served  to  make  shoes  for  M.  de  la 
Salle  and  M.  Cavelier. 

All  things  being  thus  provided,  M.  de  la  Salle  took  twentv  men 
along  with  him,  among  whom  were  M.  Cavelier.  his  brother,  !•'. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  125 

Anastasius.  a  Recollet,  M.  Moranget,  his  nephew,  the  Sieurs  Biborel, 
Le  Clerk,  Hurier,  Duhaut,  the  younger,  Hiens,  his  surgeon,  and  his 
servants.  He  left  behind  those  who  were  not  fit  to  undertake  that 
second  journey,  among  whom  were  little  M.  Cavelier,  his  nephew, 
the  Sieur  Barbier,  Canadien,  and  some  others.  Each  of  the  travel- 
lers made  up  his  pack,  and  they  set  out  towards  the  latter  end  of 
April,  1686,  after  having  given  me  the  necessary  orders,  and  we 
parted  without  ceremony,  M.  de  la  Salle  desiring  it  should  be  so. 

Some  days  after  he  was  gone,  I  heard  a  voice  towards  the  lower 
part  of  the  river,  crying  twice  qui  vive,  or  who  are  you  for.  I  made 
that  way,  and  perceived  the  Sieur  Chedeville,  a  priest,  the  Sieur  de 
la  Sablonniere,  and  some  others  of  those  who  had  been  put  aboard 
the  bark  La  Belle,  and  were  now  in  a  canoe.  I  asked  abruptly 
what  was  become  of  the  bark,  and  was  informed,  our  continual  mis- 
fortunes still  pursuing  us,  that  it  had  run  aground  on  the  other  side 
of  the  bay.  I  caused  the  canoe  to  be  unloaded;  there  being  in  it. 
among  other  things,  M.  de  la  Salle's  clothes,  part  of  his  papers,  some 
linen,  a  small  quantity  of  beads,  and  thirty  or  forty  pounds  of  meal, 
which  was  all  they  had  left 

The  next  day,  M.  de  Chedeville  told  me  the  particulars  of  that 
misfortune,  and  said,  that  having  been  some  time  with  the  bark,  in 
the  place  where  M.  de  la  Salle  had  appointed  them  to  wait,  their 
water  falling  short,  they  had  thought  fit  to  send  the  boat  ashore,  with 
four  or  five  casks  to  fill  ;  that  the  Sieur  Planterose  went  in  it  with 
six  of  the  best  men.  That  towards  evening  they  saw  the  boat  coming 
back,  but  the  wind  being  contrary  and  night  coming  on,  they  put  out 
a  light,  which  going  out  and  the  captain  neglecting  to  put  up  another, 
in  all  likelihood  the  boat  could  not  see  the  bark,  and  they  never 
heard  of  it  after,  nor  of  any  of  those  in  it,  who,  it  was  probable,  had  all 
perished. 

That  nevertheless,  they  continued  some  days  in  the  same  place, 
during  which  time  three  or  four  of  their  men  died  •  and  at  last, 
having  no  water,  they  eat  up  their  swine,  before  they  died  with  thirst, 
and  resolved  to  weigh  anchor  and  draw  near  to  the  dwelling;  but 
having  few  hands  and  those  spent,  and  to  add  to  their  misfortune  the 
wind  proving  contrary,  they  were  driven  to  the  other  side  of  the  bay. 
where  they  run  aground. 

That  having  no  boat,  nor  men  enough  to  land  their  tflects,  they 
had  endeavored  to  make  a  float  with  some  casks  and  plank-;,  but  that 
being  ill  made  and  joined  together,  the  first  that  went  upon  it  had 
perished.  That  having  made  another  float  better  fastened  together 


126  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

than  the  first,  they  had  by  that  means  saved  some  sails  and  rigging, 
several  inconsiderable  things,  linen,  clothes  and  papers  belonging  to 
M.  de  la  Salle  and  others,  and  then  stayed  ashore,  expecting  to  hear 
some  news,  and  had  found  a  canoe,  being  the  same  that  was  before 
lost  on  the  edge  of  the  bay,  which  had  been  driven  to  the  other  side  ; 
and  that  provisions  at  last  beginning  to  fall  short,  they  went  aboard 
the  said  canoe  and  carne  to  us  ;  fortunate  in  that  they  had  not  been 
discovered  by  the  natives,  during  their  stay  ashore,  which  was  for 
the  space  of  three  months,  and  in  finding  the  canoe  to  bring  them 
back. 

When  M.  de  la  Salle  went  away,  the  Sieur  Barbier  had  taken 
upon  him  to  go  a  hunting,  as  also  to  provide  bark  to  cover  our  houses, 
instead  of  hides,  because  the  sun  drying  and  contracting  them,  part 
of  the  top  of  our  buildings  was  uncovered.  I  farther  enjoined  him 
to  cut  stakes,  to  make  a  palisade  about  our  dwelling,  and  the  Sieur 
Chedeville  having  told  me  they  had  buried  several  things  they  could 
not  bring  away,  I  sent  the  Sieur  Barbier  with  two  canoes  and  fifteen 
men  to  the  place,  where  they  found  some  pedreroes,  rigging  and 
sails.  The  natives  having  discovered  the  concealment,  had  taken 
away  some  pieces  of  linen  and  iron  tools,  which  they  very  much 
covet. 

The  Sieur  Barbier  after  his  return,  continuing  his  exercise  of 
hunting,  happened  to  meet  with  a  parcel  of  the  natives,  some  of 
whom  had  firelocks,  which  they  had  taken  from  our  men,  and  with 
which  they  made  some  shots  at  him,  but  very  weak  ;  and  he  firing 
three  or  four  shot  at  them,  they  retired.  lie  was  then  in  a  canoe  on 
the  river,  and  designed  to  have  gone  upwards  ;  but  that  rencontre 
having  obliged  him  to  take  another  way,  and  the  savages  perceiving 
it,  eight  of  them  swan  over  the  river,  hastening  to  get  before  the 
canoe,  hid  themselves  among  the  weeds,  near  the  way  he  was  to 
pass,  and  when  he  was  near  enough,  let  fly  their  arrows,  which 
wounded  several  men.  One  shot  the  Sieur  Barbier  made,  put  them 
all  to  fliirht  again  ;  he  held  on  his  way  and  returned  to  our  habita- 
tion. 

Some  'lays  after,  we  perceived  a  herd  of  bullocks  Hying,  and 
fTuessed  ihey  were  pursued  by  the  savages,  which  afterwards  ap- 
peared t<>  be  true.  Some  of  them  drew  near  to  our  habitation,  but  a 
cannon  shot  1  pointed  towards  the  gang  of  them,  and  a  musket-shot 
M.  Barbier  fired  at  the  nearest,  made  them  all  fly  farther  oil". 

When  the  Sieur  Barbier  went  out  a  hunting;  I  commonly  sent 
with  him  some  vvuiueu  and  maids,  to  help  the  hunters  to  dress  and 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  127 

dry  the  flesh ;  but  being  informed  that  he  used  to  slip  aside  from  the 
company,  with  a  young  maid  he  had  a  kindness  for,  and  which  gave 
occasion  to  some  well-grounded  railleries,  the  said  Barbier  being 
told  I  was  acquainted  with  that  affair,  came  and  spoke  to  me  in  pri- 
vate, desiring  leave  to  marry  that  young  woman.  I  made  some  diffi- 
culty of  it  at  first,  advising  him  to  stay  till  M.  de  la  Salle  returned  ; 
but  at  last,  considering  they  might  have  anticipated  upon  matrimony, 
I  took  the  advice  of  the  Recollet  Fathers,  and  of  M.  Chedeville,  the 
priest,  and  allowed  them  to  marry.  M.  le  Marquis  de  la  Sablonniere 
following  this  example,  asked  the  same  liberty,  being  in  love  with  a 
young  maid,  which  I  absolutely  refused,  and  forbid  them  seeing  one 
another. 

Some  time  passed  in  which  nothing  happened  to  us  worth  observ- 
ing ;  however,  I  will  mention  two  things  which  befel  our  Recollet 
Fathers.  One  was,  that  Father  Anastasius,  being  a  hunting  bullocks 
with  me,  and  coming  too  near  one  I  had  shot,  and  was  fallen,  the 
beast,  as  much  hurt  as  he  was,  started  up,  attacked  and  threw  him 
down  ;  he  had  much  ado  to  get  off",  and  I  to  rescue  him,  because  I 
durst  not  shoot  for  fear  of  killing  him.  The  bullock  being  weak, 
fell  again  ;  the  Father  was  delivered,  but  lay  ill  some  months.  The 
other  was,  that  Father  Maximus  had  written  some  memoirs  concerning 
M.  de  la  Salle's  conduct,  condemning  him  upon  several  occasions.  I 
was  told  of  it,  found  means  to  get  those  memoirs,  threw  them  into  the 
fire,  and  so  the  Father  came  off. 

About  the  same  time,  most  of  our  men  seeing  M.  de  la  Salle  did 
not  return,  began  to  mutter.  The  Sieur  Duhaut,  who,  perhaps,  had 
been  the  first  fomenter  of  those  discontents,  backed  the  complaints  of 
the  disgusted  party,  promised  them  great  matters  under  his  conduct, 
and  offered  to  supply  them  with  such  effects  as  he  had  in  possession, 
endeavoring,  as  I  suppose,  by  those  means  to  gain  their  affections, 
for  a  mischievous  design,  which  it  is  likely  he  had  even  then  con- 
ceived. 

It  was  not  long  before  I  had  intimation  of  the  whole  affair,  and  I 
had  done  M.  de  la  Salle  a  singular  piece  of  service,  had  I  then  put 
to  death  the  person  who  was  to  be  his  murderer  ;  but  I  rested  satisfied 
with  giving  him  a  severe  reprimand,  and  threatening  to  cause  him  to 
be  secured  if  he  persisted,  being  able  to  do  no  other  under  my 
circumstances.  However,  I  talked  to  all  concerned,  and  put  them 
in  such  hopes  of  M.  de  la  Salle's  return,  and  that  things  would  soon 
change  to  their  satisfaction,  that  they  were  all  pacified. 

But  in  regard  that  idleness  often  occasions  uneasiness  and  impa- 


128  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

tience,  I  used  all  possible  means  to  keep  them  employed  in  the  most 
obliging  manner  I  could,  setting  some  to  cut  down  the  bushes  about 
our  dwelling,  others  to  hew  down  trees  that  hindered  the  prospect, 
others  to  mow  the  grass  that  fresh  might  grow  up  for  our  cattle  ;  and 
at  night  I  made  them  divert  themselves  with  dancing  and  singing. 

Whilst  we  thus  passed  away  the  time  the  best  we  could,  M.  de  la 
Salle  had  penetrated  very  far  up  into  the  country,  inclining  towards 
the  northern  part  of  Mexico.  He  had  travelled  through  several 
nations,  the  inhabitants  whereof  were,  for  the  most  part,  sociable, 
and  had  concluded  a  sort  of  alliance  with  them,  and  particularly 
with  the  Cenis  and  others  whose  names  I  shall  mention.  lie  had 
discovered  charming  countries  abounding  in  all  things  that  could  be 
wished,  as  well  for  sustenance  as  for  making  of  easy  settlements, 
and  after  lie  and  his  nephew  Moranget  had  escaped  two  dangerous 
sicknesses,  he  returned  to  our  habitation  with  live  horses  lie  had 
purchased,  and  arrived  at  it  in  August,  1680. 

Hearing  of  his  voice,  I  was  one  of  the  first  that  ran  towards  the 
river.  We  took  our  canoes  to  bring  him,  his  luggage  and  some  pro- 
visions over,  and  the  horses  swam.  We  were  extraordinary  glad  to 
see  our  commander-in-chief  return  safe,  though  his  journey  had  not 
advanced  his  design.  M.  de  la  Salle  had  not  found  oui,  his  river, 
nor  been  towards  the  Illinois  as  we  had  hoped.  Only  eight  men 
returned  with  him  of  twenty  he  carried  out,  and  all  the  visible 
advantage  of  that  journey  consisted  in  five  horses,  laden  with  Indian 
wheat,  beans  and  some  other  grain,  which  was  put  into  the  store. 

M.  de  la  Salle  asked  me,  as  soon  as  he  came,  whether  the  Sieurs 
Clerc.  Hurio,  Duhaut  the  younger  and  two  others,  were  come,  be- 
cause they  not  being  able  to  endure  the  fatigue  of  the  journev.  he 

Jo  <~-  J  .    ' 

had  given  them  leave  to  return,  and  hearing  they  were  not,  he  con- 
cluded the  savages  had  killed  them.  \\  e  were  also  informed  that 
the  Sicur  Biborel  had  strayed  and  was  lost,  so  that  there  had  been  no 
news  of  him  since  ;  that  one  of  M.  de  la  Salle's  servants  had  been 
dragged  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  water  and  devoured  by  un  alli- 
gator, and  that  four  others  had  deserted  and  abandoned  -M.  de  la 
Salle,  when  he  was  about  the  country  of  the  C'enis. 

This  was  a  very  dismal  and  deplorable  account  ;  but  the  even 
temper  of  our  chief  made  all  men  easy,  and  he  found,  by  his  gnat 
vivacity  of  spirit,  expedients  which  revived  the  lowest  ebb  of  hope, 
lie  rejoiced  at  the  return  and  sight  of  ,M.  Chedeville  ;  lie  was  pleased 
at  the  recovering  of  his  clothes  and  part  of  his  papers;  and  after 
some  time  of  rest,  he  proposed  to  undertake  a  journey  towards  ihc 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  129 

Illinois,  and  to  make  it  the  main  business,  by  the  way,  to  find  the 
Mississippi ;  but  it  was  thought  proper  to  let  the  great  heats  pass 
before  that  enterprise  was  taken  in  hand. 

In  the  mean  time  he  gave  orders  to  stake  about  a  place  to  make  a 
new  magazine,  or  storehouse.  He  put  to  that  use  the  timber  I  had 
caused  to  be  cut,  and  would  have  more  provided  for  the  same  use. 
Detachments  being  sent  to  work,  seven  or  eight  of  our  men,  who 
were  sent  with  the  Sieur  Barbier,  were  discovered  by  the  savages, 
who  being  superior  in  number,  made  as  if  they  would  hem  them  in  ; 
but  each  of  our  men  having  taken  a  tree  upon  their  shoulders  and 
fired  their  pieces,  which  made  one  of  the  natives  drop,  the  others 
took  him  up  and  withdrew.  Yet  it  was  not  long  before  they  were 
revenged,  for  they  killed  us  two  men,  one  of  them  close  by  our 
dwelling,  and  the  other,  who  had  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
company  to  gather  purslain,  and  could  not  be  relieved. 

There  being  every  day  some  discourse  of  the  journey  to  the 
Illinois,  M.  de  la  Salle  asked  me  one  day  whether  I  would  make  one 
of  the  company,  and  go  by  the  way  of  Canada  to  France  for  succors. 
I  assured  him  I  was  entirely  devoted  to  his  will,  and  would  faithfully 
attend  him.  Then  he  began  by  degrees  to  provide  what  he  thought 
necessary  for  that  expedition.  I  had  two  pair  of  sheets  which  he 
took  to  make  him  linen.  Canvas  clothes  were  made  of  the  sails  of 
the  bark  La  Belle.  The  Sieur  Duhaut  having  linen,  he  took  some 
to  distribute  among  several  persons.  Thus  he  hasted  on  the  execu- 
tion of  his  design,  but  an  accident  put  it  off. 

It  was  occasioned  by  a  flux  which  troubled  M.  de  la  Salle,  who, 
having  told  me  he  could  not  perform  that  journey  as  long  as  he  con- 
tinued in  such  condition,  I  offered  to  undertake  it  for  him.  if  he 
would  allow  me  his  Indian,  and  about  fifteen  men  ;  but  he  answered, 
that  his  presence  was  requisite  among  the  Illinois,  and  that  it  was 
requisite  his  brother  should  go  to  France.  Thus  he  refused  my 
oiler,  and  could  not  shun  the  ill  fate  of  that  journey. 

\Ve  spent  some  time  longer  after  this  manner,  during  which 
there  arose  a  controversy  about  the  privileges  the  King  grants  to  the 
first-born  of  the  French  colonies  in  America.  The  Sieur  Barbier's 
wife  was  with  child,  and  he  claimed  the  privilege  granted  f  >r  that 
child.  The  widow  Talon  had  a  child  born  in  the  passage  from 
France  to  America,  and  alleged  that  her  child,  though  born  before 
our  arrival,  ought  to  bo  preferred  ;  but  the  Sieur  Barbicr's  wife 
miscarrying,  the  dispute  was  not  decided. 

M.  de  la  Salle   being  recovered  of  his  indisposition,    preparations 

10 


130  HISTORICAL    COLLECTION'S    OF    LOUI.SIAA ;.i. 

were  again  made  for  his  journey  ;  but  we  first  kept  the  Christmas 
holydays.  The  midnight  mass  \vas  solemnly  sung,  and  on  twelfth 
day,  we  cried,  the  king  drinks  (according  to  the  custom  of  France), 
though  we  had  only  water ;  when  that  was  over  we  began  to  think 
of  setting  out.  M.  dc  la  Salle  gave  the  command  of  the  settlement 
to  the  Sieur  Barhier,  directing  him  what  he  was  to  do  and  observe  in 
his  absence. 

There  remained  in  that  habitation,  the  Fathers  Maximus  and  Zc- 
nobius,  Recollets,  M.  Chedeville  the  priest,  the  Marquis  de  la  Sablon- 
niere,  the  Sieur  Barbier,  commander,  his  wife,  a  surgeon  and  others, 
to  the  number  of  twenty,  among  whom  were  seven  women  or  maids. 
and  only  the  Sieur  Barbier  married  ;  which  is  much  short  of  the 
number  some  have  given  out  remained  in  the  dwelling,  without  any 
ground;  for  the  truth  is,  there  were  no  mure,  and  particularly  no 
natives,  M.  dc  la  Salle  having  absolutely  forbidden  holding  any  com- 
munication with  them.  As  for  beasts  they  amounted  to  seventy,  or 
seventy-five  swine,  great  and  small,  which  was  a  good  stuck  ;  for 
fowl,  eighteen  or  twenty  hens;  some  casks  of  meal,  which  was  kept 
for  the  sick  ;  powder,  ball,  and  eight  pieces  of  cannon,  without  any 
bullets. 

We  set  out  the  IxJth  of  January,  in  the  year  1087,  being  seventeen 
in  number,  viz.  M.  dc  la  Salle,  M.  Cavelier.  the  priest,  his  brother, 
Father  Anastasius,  the  Ilecollet.  MM.  Moranget  and  Cavelier,  nephews 
to  M.  de  la  Salle,  the  Sieurs  Dehaut,  the  elder.  I/ArclevetjUe.  Iliens. 
Liotot,  surgeon,  young  Talon,  an  Indian,  and  a  footman  belonging  to 
M.  de  la  Salle,  ^Vc.  We  carried  along  wiih  us  part  of  the  best 
things  every  man  had.  and  what  was  thought  w<..-uld  be  of  use.  where- 
with the  live  horses  were  loaded,  and  we  look  our  leaves  with  so 
much  tenderness  and  sorrow,  as  if  we  bud  ail  presaged  that  we 
should  never  see  each  other  more.  Father  Zenobius  was  the  person 
who  expressed  it  to  me  most  significantly,  saying,  he  had  never  been 
-o  sensibly  touched  at  parting  with  anybody'. 

We  went  that  day  to  the  place  we  called  Le  I-viucoii.  because  there 
we  had  often  dried  ilesli  (which  the  Fivm-h  call  hoticaniii  r  from  the 
Indian  word).  This  place  was  not  far  (Voi.i  our  habitation.  The 
115th  wo  crossed  a  plain,  about  two  leagues  over,  u  here  we.  saw  seve- 
ral herd--  nf  beeves  and  (locks  of  gouts,  turkeys,  bu.-tards.  and  other 
-oils  of  wild  (owl.  \Ve  met  with  marshy  lands,  v.  hich  tired  our 
horses,  and  caim1  to  a  wood  that  terminates  the  plain,  across  which 
run-  a  branch  of  a  river  full  of  reeds,  bv  M.  de  la  Salle  called  the 


JOUTEL'S    HISTORICAL    JOURNAL.  131 

Princess:s  river.  That  branch  joins  the  other,  and  they  both  fell  to- 
gether into  the  bay  of  St.  Louis. 

We  killed  five  beeves  at  the  entrance  into  the  wood,  forded  the 
river,  and  encamped  half  a  league  beyond  it,  whence  M.  de  la  Salle 
sent  men  with  the  horses  to  bring  the  flesh  of  the  bullocks  we  had 
killed  ;  the  hides  of  them,  which  served  to  cover  us,  being  very  use- 
ful against  a  violent  shower  of  rain  that  fell. 

The  14th,  the  rain  ceasing,  we  travelled  over  another  spacious  plain, 
where  there  is  a  multitude  of  beeves  and  wild  fowl.  We  saw  seve- 
ral tracks,  leading  every  way,  made  by  the  bullocks,  of  which  we 
saw  several  herds,  some  moving  on  hastily,  and  others  running  out- 
right, which  made  us  suppose  they  were  driven  by  the  natives.  In 
short,  having  halted  to  help  up  one  of  our  horses  that  had  fallen,  we 
saw  an  Indian  following  them  very  close.  M.  de  la  Salle  caused  a 
horse  to  be  immediately  unloaded,  which  a  man  mounted,  rode  after. 
overtook,  and  brought  the  Indian. 

When  the  savage  saw  himself  among  us,  he  concluded  ho  was  a 
lost  man  :  lie  quaked  lor  fear,  and  not  without  reason,  for  most  of  our 
men  had  resolved  to  kill  him  ;  M.  de  la  Salle  opposed  it,  alleging 
that  we  were  but  a  small  number,  thai  very  few  were  left  behind  at 
the  habitation,  and  therefore  we  ought  not  to  render  ourselves  odious 
to  the  natives,  but  to  use  them  kindly,  that  we  might  have  peace  : 
an  infallible  maxim,  the  practice  of  which  might  have  been  fortunate 
to  him,  had  he  followed  it  sooner. 

lie  therefore  caused  a  fire  to  be  made,  gave  him  to  eat  and  smoke, 
and  afterwards  a  bit  of  roll-tobacco,  and  some  other  trifles.  M.  de 
la  Sall'j  gave  him  to  understand  that  he  came  not  to  hurt  any  man. 
but  to  settle  peace  in  all  places,  and  so  dismissed  him.  The  Indian 
recovered  himself  a  little  of  his  fright,  but  being  still  dubious  what 
his  falo  miu'ht  be.  he  at  first  walked  away  gently,  still  looking  about 
him.  and  when  at  a  good  distance  made  oil'  as  fast  as  he  could.  We 
held  ou  our  way.  and  soon  after  saw  another  Indian  running  after 
the  bullocks.  J.I.  de  la  Salle  caused  him  to  bo  taken,  brought  to  us. 
and  treated  as  the  first  had  been. 

We  had  not  gone  far  before  we  spied  a  company  of  natives  com- 
ing towards  us.  on  our  left,  but  we  held  on  our  way  till  they  were 
over  against  us,  when  M.  de  la  Salle  caused  us  to  halt.  The  sava- 
ges seeing  us  halt,  stood  still  also,  which  M.  de  la  Salle  perceiving, 
lie  laid  his  firelock  on  the  ground,  and  advanced  towards  them,  mak- 
ing si^ns  to  him  that  commanded  them,  who  was  a  handsome  man, 
to  draw  near.  That  Indian  came  forward,  and  was  followed  by  the 


132  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

rest,  all  of  them  caressing  us  after  their  manner,  which  we  returned 
the  best  we  were  able,  and  then  made  them  smoke. 

Next  M.  de  la  Salic  gave  them  to  understand,  that  we  were  going 
towards  the  Cenis,  that  we  desired  to  be  at  peace  with  them  all, 
and  that  we  would  return  to  our  own  country,  whence  we  Mould 
bring  them  all  they  had  occasion  for.  Then  we  distributed  among 
them  some  bits  of  roll-tobacco,  some  strings  of  beads,  and  knives, 
which  they  seemed  to  be  pleased  with,  and  all  this  was  done  by  signs. 
Then  every  man  went  his  o\vn  way.  We  advanced  half  a  league 
farther,  to  get  into  a  wood,  where  M.  de  la  Salle  had  encamped  when 
he  went  that  way  before  ;  we  cut  down  trees  to  secure  our  post,  and 
lay  there  that,  night. 

Before  our  entrenchment  was  finished,  we  discovered,  first  one 
Indian,  then  two,  and  afterwards  three,  coming  one  after  another ; 
which  giving  M.  de  la  Salle  some  jealousy,  he  caused  us  to 
handle  our  arms,  with  orders  to  stand  upon  our  guard,  for  fear  of 
being  surprised,  and  went  towards  them.  They  signified  to  him. 
that  their  people  had  told  them  we  did  not  hurt  anybody,  which  was 
very  well,  and  that  they  were  come  to  see  us.  They  were  enter- 
tained as  the  others  had  been,  and  then  signs  were  made  to  them  to 
withdraw,  because  night  drew  on,  and  having  observed  that  they 
took  notice  of  our  fortifying  ourselves,  we  kept  a  good  guard  all  the 
night,  without  any  disturbance. 

The  15th,  we  marched  on,  intending  to  find  out  a  ford,  in  the 
river  called  the  Princess,  where  M.  de  la  Salle  bad  passed 
before  ;  but  missing  it,  and  the  river  being  swollen,  we  were 
obliged  to  go  up  higher,  sometimes  crossing  curious  meadows,  and 
sometimes  woods  of  tall  trees  of  several  sorts,  but  all  young,  of  the 
same  thickness,  and  straight,  looking  as  if  they  had  been  planted  by  a 
line.  The  river  running  through  the  midst  of  those  curious  shady 
groves,  which  were  also  watered  by  several  little  brooks  of  very 
clear  and  good  water,  allbrded  a  most  delightful  landscape. 

\Ve  also  met  with  some  woods  so  thick",  that  it  was  requisite  to 
hew  a  passage  for  the  horses.  Towards  the  evening  we  killed  a 
bullock,  and  went  to  encamp  in  a  little  coppice,  with  our  usual  pre- 
cautions. 

The  1'ith.  we  continued  our  journev.  still  following  the    river  up- 
wards,   and    from   time    to   time   mectintr   the   same    sort    of   pasture 
grounds  and  tin.1  obstacles  of  \\oods.    where  we  were  fain  to  cut.  oui 
'•:i\   through,  which  fatigued  us  very  much:    but  the  plenty   of  wild 
nip!  particularly  of  turkeys,  whereof  we  killed   manv.   was  an 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  133 

ease  to  our  sufferings,  and  help  to  bear  our  toil  with  more  satisfac- 
tion. 

The  17th  was  a  very  toilsome  day's  journey,  by  reason  of  the 
woods  and  rivulets  we  were  to  cross  ;  after  which  we  came  to  a  little 
hill,  on  which  there  were  2  or  300  cottages  of  the  natives.  Those 
huts  were  like  large  ovens,  consisting  of  long  poles  stuck  in  the  earth 
in  a  circle,  and  joining  above  to  make  the  dome  or  round  top.  They 
had  been  dwellings  of  the  natives,  who  being  gone,  had  carried 
away  the  hides  that  covered  them,  and  the  mats  which  are  used  to 
hang  the  insides,  and  to  make  their  beds  of. 

After  a  march  of  some  hours,  our  Indian  having  found  a  herd  of 
beeves,  \ve  killed  seven  or  eight,  took  the  best  of  the  meat,  and  held 
on  our  way  across  a  wood.  We  forded  a  branch  of  the  river,  and 
proceeded  to  the  bank  of  another,  the  bottom  whereof  being  foul,  we 
encamped  on  the  edge  of  it,  and  the  rain  falling  at  night  and  con- 
tinuing all  the  next  day,  were  obliged  to  stay  there. 

The  19th,  the  rain  ceasing,  we  proceeded  through  a  thick  fog,  and 
over  places  where  the  water  was  often  up  to  our  knees,  and  some- 
times higher  ;  which,  together  with  our  being  forced  to  cut  the  way 
athwart  the  bushes,  with  our  hatchets,  gave  us  inexpressible  trouble, 
and  it  had  been  much  greater,  had  we  not  resolved  to  follow  the 
ways  beaten  by  the  bullocks,  whom  a  natural  instinct  always  leads 
to  those  parts  which  are  easiest  to  pass. 

We  were  not  free  from  another  inconveniency  in  those  tracts, 
which  was  their  being  full  of  water  and  very  rugged,  a  thing  no  way 
agreeable  to  our  shoes,  which  were  no  other  than  a  piece  of  bullock's 
hide  or  goat's  skin  quite  green,  whereof  we  made  a  sort  of  buskins, 
to  serve  instead  of  shoes,  but  when  those  wretched  boots  were  dried 
by  the  heat,  upon  our  feet,  they  hurt  us  very  much,  and  we  were 
often  obliged  to  set  our  feet  in  the  water,  to  soften  those  buskins. 
However,  we  marched  all  the  day,  notwithstanding  all  those  incon- 
veniences, without  finding  a  proper  place  to  encamp,  and  at  last 
came  to  a  river,  whose  high  bank  afforded  us  a  spot  to  rest  on. 

The  i2Uth,  a  small  rain  did  not  obstruct  our  march,  and  having 
crossed  a  wood,  half  a  league  athwart,  and  a  marsh  of  the  same  ex- 
tent, we  came  into  a  large  plain,  cut  across  by  great  tracks  of  bul- 
locks, which  went  towards  the  river,  and  made  us  suppose  there 
might  be  a  ford.  We  followed  that  way,  but  found  the  river  so 
swollen,  and  its  stream  so  rapid,  that  it  was  impossible  to  cross  it, 
but  were  obliged  to  halt  upon  its  bank,  whence  we  went  to  hunt  bul- 
locks, whereof  we  had  no  want,  nor  of  turkeys  and  other  wild  fowl. 


134  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

The  21st,  we  proceeded  up  that  river,  and  found  a  narrow  deep 
place,  near  which  we  hewed  down  a  tree,  making  it  fall  so  as  to 
reach  from  the  one  hank  to  the  other,  in  the  nature  of  a  plank,  and 
handed  our  haggage  from  one  to  another  over  it.  The  horses  swam 
over,  and  we  encamped  on  the  other  side,  near  a  very  beautiful  plain. 

Whilst  we  were  hewing  down  some  little  wood  to  entrench  our- 
selves, we  heard  a  voice,  whereupon,  handling  our  arms  and  going 
to  the  place  where  we  heard  it,  we  saw  a  company  of  fifteen  savages. 
who  were  coming  towards  us,  and  made  signs  to  us  to  go  to  them, 
laying  down  their  bows,  in  token  of  peace.  We  also  made  our  sign 
to  them  to  draw  near  j  they  did  so,  and  caressed  us  after  their  man- 
ner. We  made  them  sit  down  and  smoke,  after  which  M.  de  la 
Salle  began  to  converse  with  them  by  signs,  and  by  help  of  some 
words  of  the  language  of  the  Cenis,  which  lie  was  skilful  in.  lie  un- 
derstood that  these  were  their  neighbors  and  allies  ;  that  their  village 
was  not  far  off,  and  that  their  nation  was  called  Ilebaliarno.  Sonic- 
small  presents  were  given  them,  and  they  withdrew,  promising  to 
return  the  next  day. 

The  2'2d,  our  horses  being  spent  and  hurt,  and  we  much  tired,  the 
day  was  given  to  rest,  and  the  natives  did  not  fail  to  come,  being 
twenty-five  in  number,  some  of  whom  had  bucklers  or  targets  made 
of  the  strongest  part  of  the  bullocks'  hides.  They  gave  us  to  under- 
stand that  they  were  engaged  in  war  towards  the  X.W.,  and  told  us 
they  had  seen  men  like  us,  who  were  hut  ten  days'  journey  from 
that  place.  Other  tokens  they  gave  made  us  suppose  it  was  Xew 
Spain  that  they  talked  of. 

M.  de  la  Salle  took  several  words  of  their  language,  which  is  very 
different  from  that  of  the  On  is,  and  more  dillicnlt.  As  fur  their 
customs,  they  arc  much  alike.  In  fine,  having  shown  us,  ihat  to- 
wards the  N.W.  we  should  meet  with  plains,  where  the  way  would 
be  easier,  and  we  should  shun  the  woods,  we  irave  them  to  cat.  and 
some  presents,  and  they  took  leave  of  us.  A  rain  falling  ;uid  hold- 
ing all  the  night,  we  did  not  march  the  121th.  The  '-Mill.  We  travel- 
led not  far,  by  reason  of  the  rains  continuing,  and  that  then.1  were 
several  rivers  in  the  way  much  swollen. 

The  vMiih.  we  proceeded  on  our  journey,  and  came  to  th"  river 
called  La  Sablonniere,  from  the  ninny  sand  banks  there  are  in  it. 
The  27th,  departing  from  it.  we  came  to  another  little  narrow  river, 
but  very  deep  :  going  up  higher  we  found  a  ford,  and  went  to  en- 
camp beyond  it.  in  a  little  wood,  when-  we  had  a  verv  bad  night. 
because  of  the  rain  which  fell  airain.  and  the  overflowing  of  lh" 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  135 

river,  which  obliged  us  to  make  a  little  sort  of  scaffold,  to  lay  our 
powder  and  clothes  on,  that  they  might  not  be  wet.  The  next  day 
being  the  28th,  observing  that  the  water  was  still  rising,  we  decamped 
to  go  a  league  farther,  to  a  higher  ground,  where  we  made  a  great 
fire  to  warm  and  dry  us. 

We  took  notice  the  country  was  very  good,  the  plains  extending 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  adorned  with  many  little  coppices, 
affording  a  very  agreeable  prospect.  We  inarched  over  part  of 
them  the  20th  and  oOth  ;  after  three  hours'  travel,  found  a  way  full  of 
water,  which  obliged  us  to  encamp  on  the  bank  of  a  river  ;  passed  it 
the  31st,  and  encamped  in  a  wood  close  by. 

The  next  day,  being  the  first  of  February,  1687.  M.  de  la  Salle 
left  me  to  guard  the  camp,  and  took  along  with  him  M.  Cavelier,  his 
brother,  and  seven  men,  to  go  see  whether  he  could  find  anybody  in 
several  cottages  our  hunters  had  discovered.  He  found  twenty-four 
or  twenty-five  of  them,  built  round  like  those  I  have  before  mentioned, 
standing  on  a  rising  ground,  almost  encompassed  by  the  river,  in 
each  of  which  there  were  four  or  five  men,  and  several  women  and 
children. 

The  savages  were  somewhat  surprised  at  M.  de  la  Salle's  coming; 
however,  they  received  him  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  conducted  him 
to  their  commander's  hut,  which  was  immediately  filled  with  people, 
who  came  to  see  him.  The  elders  came  together  there,  bullocks' 
hides  were  laid  upon  the  ground,  on  which  they  made  M.  de  la  Salle 
and  his  company  sit.  They  gave  them  hung  beef  to  eat,  and  then 
signified  to  them  that  some  of  their  allies  had  given  them  notice  of 
our  being  in  this  country,  and  that  we  were  going  to  the  Cenis,  and 
they  had  imagined  that  we  would  pass  through  their  country. 

M.  de  la  Salle  presented  them  with  some  knives  and  bits  of  tobac- 
co, and  they  gave  him  bullocks'  hides,  very  well  dressed  with  the 
hair ;  they  gave  one  for  a  knife,  and  would  have  given  many  more, 
but  that  we  told  them  that  we  had  no  conveniency  to  carry  them. 
and  that  if  they  had  any  horses,  he  would  give  them  axes  in  ex- 
change. They  answered,  they  had  but  two,  which  they  could  not 
part  with.  It  being  late  when  M.  de  la  Salic  returned,  we  stayed 
there  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  several  Indians  came  to  see  us,  in 
hopes  of  receiving  some  present,  offering  us  bullocks'  hides  dressed, 
which  we  would  not  burden  ourselves  with. 

The  second,  we  set  out  again,  and  halted  some  time  in  that  village, 
where,  by  the  way.  we  bartered  for  some  collars,  or  a  sort  of  knots 
made  of  bullocks'  hides  well  dressed,  which  the  natives  make  use  of 


136  HISTORICAL    COLLECTION'S    OF    LOUISIANA. 

to  carry  their  burdens,  whether  of  wood,  utensils,  or  the  meat  they 
kill.  They  proved  of  use  both  to  us  and  our  horses,  because  the 
thongs  of  those  collars  served  to  make  fast  our  burdens. 

We  proceeded  on  our  journey,  through  a  country  pleasant  enough, 
but  sandy,  and  having  crossed  a  large  plain,  came  to  the  bank  of  a 
fine  river,  called  La  Maligne,  or  the  Mischievous,  because  in  M.  dc 
la  Salle's  former  journey,  an  alligator  devoured  one  of  his  servants, 
who  was  swimming  over  it.  This  river  is  as  wide  as  the  Seine  at 
Rouen,  seems  to  be  very  navigable,  and  has  a  very  pleasant  country 
about  it.  We  encamped  in  a  little  wood  adjoining  to  it,  and  barked 
the  aspen  trees  to  hut. 

Our  hunters  killed  beeves,  wild  goats,  turkeys,  and  other  wild- 
fowl ;  and  among  the  rest,  some  creatures  as  big  as  an  indifferent 
cat,  very  like  a  rat,  having  a  bag  under  their  throat,  in  which  they 
carry  their  young.  They  feed  upon  nuts  and  acorns,  are  very  fat, 
and  their  flesh  is  much  like  pig. 

Hard  by  there,  we  found  a  place  where  M.  de  la  Salle,  in  his 
former  journey,  had  hid  some  parcels  of  strings  of  beads  in  the 
trunks  of  trees,  and  we  rested  there  till  the  eighth  of  the  month. 
During  that  time,  no  day  passed  without  seeing  some  of  the  natives, 
who  sometimes  spent  the  whole  day  with  us.  and  said  they  were  of 
several  nations.  We  made  them  smoke,  and  always  gave  them 
some  small  presents.  They  admired  that  after  we  hail  written  down 
some  words  they  spoke  to  us,  we  repeated  them,  looking  on  the 
paper. 

Whilst  we  stayed,  M.  do  la  Salle  set  men  at  work  to  make  a  porta- 
ble canoe,  of  long  poles,  hewed  and  joined,  and  then  covered  with 
bullocks'  hides  sewed  together,  having  pulled  oil' the  hair  or  wool,  a.s 
it  may  be  called  there.  That  canoe  was  of  groat  use  to  us.  to  cross 
rivers,  as  well  for  ourselves  as  for  our  baggage,  but  the  horses  swam 
over. 

The  ninth,  we  put  our  canoe  into  the  water,  and  passed  the  river 
in  it,  and  encamped  half  a  league  from  thence,  on  account  of  the 
crass,  which  our  horses  stood  in  need  of  to  recover  themselves  a 

o  ' 

little.  The  tenth,  we  held  on  our  journey,  crossing  several  spacious 
plains,  the  grass  whereof  was  burnt,  whence  M.  do  la  Salle  con- 
cluded that  there  were  many  natives  thereabouts.  He  thought  it 
convenient  to  provide  a  store  of  dried  flesh,  for  fear  we  should  not 
find  game  in  the  country  we  were  going  to  enter  upon,  and  accord- 
ingly caused  several  beeves  to  be  killed  for  that  purpose. 

l''>rthat  reason,  we  continued  there  till  the   1'Jtli,  when  we  went 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  137 

and  encamped  on  the  bank  of  a  river,  which  M.  de  la  Salle  had  in 
his  former  journey  called  d'Eure.  At  night  there  arose  a  storm, 
followed  by  thunder  and  rain,  which  swelled  the  streams,  and 
obliged  us  to  stay  there.  The  13th  and  14th,  we  crossed  four  or  five 
large  rivulets,  and  then  a  fine  curious  country,  diversified  with  seve- 
ral little  woods,  hills,  and  small  brooks,  affording  a  delightful  pros- 
pect. That  pleasant  country  was  terminated  by  a  wood,  which  we 
were  to  cross,  and  were  favored  in  it  by  a  way  beaten  by  the 
bullocks,  and  at  night  we  encamped  there. 

The  15th,  we  travelled  along  a  fine  meadow,  then  over  plains  that 
had  been  burnt,  and  at  night  went  to  take  our  rest  on  the  bank  of  a 
small  rivulet,  about  which  we  saw  several  footsteps  of  natives,  which 
made  us  conclude  we  were  not  far  from  them ;  and  therefore  we 
doubled  our  guard,  to  prevent  being  surprised. 

The  16th,  M.  de  la  Salle  left  me  at  the  guard  of  the  camp,  and 
took  M.  Cavelier  his  brother,  and  seven  men  with  him,  to  go  find 
out  the  Indians.  They  had  not  gone  half  a  league  before  they 
spied  horses  and  a  number  of  cottages,  without  being  themselves 
seen  by  the  savages.  That  village  stood  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  and 
contained  about  forty  huts,  standing  together,  besides  several  others 
straggling. 

When  M.  de  la  Salle  entered  the  village,  the  savages  seeing  him, 
came  to  meet  and  conduct  him  to  the  cottage  of  their  chief,  where  he  and 
his  company  were  seated  on  bullocks'  hides.  The  elders  being  come, 
he  signified  to  them  the  occasion  of  his  coming,  as  he  had  done  the  other 
nations,  with  which  they  seemed  to  rest  satisfied.  Some  presents 
were  made  them,  according  to  custom,  and  they  offered  him  a  quan- 
tity of  hides,  which  he  refused,  telling  them,  that  when  he  returned 
from  the  Cenis  he  would  trade  with,  and  furnish  them  with  all  they 
had  occasion  for.  They  confirmed  what  the  others  had  told  us,  con- 
cerning a  nation,  where  some  of  them  had  been,  the  men  whereof 
were  like  us,  meaning  the  Spaniards.  He  named  to  them  the 
nations  we  had  passed  through  from  our  dwelling  of  St.  Louis,  to 
the  river  Maligne,  which  we  had  lately  passed.  The  names  of  those 
nations  are  as  follows  : 

The  Spicheats,  Kabayes,  Thecamons,  Theauremets,  Kiahoba, 
Choumenes.  Kouans,  Arhan,  Enepiahe,  Ahonerhopiheim,  Korenkake, 
Korkone,  Omeaoffe,  Keremen,  Ahehoen,  Maghai,  Thecamenes,  Oten- 
marhcm,  Kavagan  and  Meracouman.  These  are  the  nations  that 
lay  on  our  road  ;  those  on  the  west  and  north-west  of  the  said  river, 
were  the  Kannehonan,  Tohaka,  Pehir,  Coyabegux,  Onapien,  Pichar, 


138  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

Tolian,  Kiaffess,  Chanzes,  Tscra,  Bocrottcs,  Tsepehocn,  Fcreoutcha, 
Panego,  Petao,  Petzarcs,  Peisacho,  Peihoum  and  Orcampion. 

Those  we  were  with  then,  were  called  Tcao,  whom  we  had  not 
before  heard  named.  They  talked  of  a  groat  nation  called  Ayona 
and  Canohatino,  who  were  at  war  with  the  Spaniards,  from  whom 
they  stole  horses,  and  told  us,  that  one  hundred  Spaniards  were  to 
have  come  to  join  the  Cenis,  to  carry  on  that  war,  but  that  having 
heard  of  our  march,  they  went  back.  M.  de  la  Salle  gave  them  to 
understand,  that  we  were  at  war  with  the  Spaniards,  and  that  we 
feared  them  not  ;  and  that  he  was  sent  on  their  account  by  the  great 
captain  of  the  world,  who  had  charged  him  to  do  them  all  good,  and 
to  assist  them  in  their  wars  against  such  nations  as  were  their  enemies. 

Those  savages  gave  M.  de  la  Salle  notice,  that  he  would  find  three 

O  O 

of  our  men  among  the  Cenis,  which  put  him  in  hopes  they  were 
those  he  had  given  leave  to  depart  at  his  former  journey,  and  of 
whom  he  never  since  heard.  lie  proposed  to  them  to  barter  for 
horses  ;  but  they  had  caused  them  to  be  conveyed  out  of  the  way, 
for  fear  we  should  take  them  away,  excepting  only  one  bay,  which 
M.  dc  la  Salle  agreed  for  and  returned  to  us. 

The  17th,  we  passed  a  small  river,  with  some  difficulty,  and 
encamped  beyond  it.  The  18th,  one  of  our  horses  going  along  the 
edge  of  an  upright  bank,  fell  into  the  water,  and  came  olf  with  only 
a  hurt  on  the  shoulder;  but  we  were  fain  to  unload  him.  and  distri- 
bute his  burden  among  us,  every  one  making  a  pack  ;  and  thus  we 
crossed  a  curious  plain  diversified  with  woods,  hills,  rivulets,  and 
delightful  meadows. 

The  19th,  we  travelled  along  the  tops  of  those  hills,  to  avoid  the 
bottoms,  and  found  a  difficult  v  to  iret  down,  by  reason  of  the  rocks 
we  met  with  at  the  end  of  them,  and  a  river  we  were  to  cross. 
Whilst  we  were  passing  that  river,  we  heard  dogs  hunting  the 
bullocks,  two  of  which  coming  near  us.  one  of  them  was  shot 
dead.  The  natives  who  were  hunting  spying  us.  sent  out  two  of 
their  number,  who.  creeping  from  tree  to  tree,  drew  near,  and  then 
stood  still,  without  dariiiii  to  proceed  anv  further.  \Ve  made  signs 
to  them  to  come,  which  they  did,  and  we  made-  them  smoke  till 
M.  de  la  Salle  returned,  being  gone  a  little  way  to  observe  the  body 
of  those  people. 

When  come,  he  told  them   he  would  entertain   peace   with  them, 

that  we  were   gohiLT  \n  the  Cenis.  and   lie   believed   that  these   very 

ni'.-ii    were   of  their  nation,  because   they  had   their  accent    and  som< 

!'  I'm-ir   words.      Th''v  told  him  their  village   was  near  that  place. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  130 

and  here  us  company  to  our  camp,  where,  after  some  small  presents 
given  them,  they  were  dismissed. 

The  20th,  M.  de  la  Salic  sent  M.  Moranget  and  some  others  to  the 
village  of  those  natives,  to  try  whether  they  could  barter  with  them 
for  some  horses.  In  the  meantime  two  savages  came  to  us,  one  of 
them  being  the  same  that  was  with  us  the  night  before,  and  they 
expressed  much  friendship  for  us.  That  particular  Indian  told  us 
his  name  was  Palaquechaune,  that  they  were  allies  to  the  Cenis,  that 
their  chief  had  been  among  the  "Choumans  with  the  Spaniards  ;  that 
the  Choumans  were  friends  to  the  Spaniards,  from  whom  they  got 
horses,  and  added  some  farther  particulars,  which  the  others  had 
before  signified  to  us ;  so  that  we  had  good  reason  to  judge  we  were 
not  far  from  North  Mexico. 

He  also  told  us,  that  the  Choumans  had  given  their  chief  some 
presents  to  persuade  him  to  conduct  us  to  them  ;  that  most  of  the 
said  nation  had  flat  heads  •  that  they  had  Indian  corn,  which  gave  M. 
de  la  Salic  ground  to  believe,  that  those  people  were  some  of 
the  same  he  had  seen  upon  his  first  discovery.  That  same 
native  had  a  very  fine  goat's  skin,  which  I  purchased  of  him  for  four 
needles,  after  I  had  shown  him  how  to  use  them,  and  that  skin  was 
of  good  use  to  make  us  shoes  instead  of  raw  bullocks'  hides. 

Some  time  after  M.   Moranget  returned,  gave   M.  de  la  Salle  an 

O  J      o 

account  of  his  short  journey,  and  said  that  one  of  the  natives,  who  saw 
us  the  night  before,  came  to  meet  and  conduct  him  to  the  chief's 
cottage,  where  forty  ancient  Indians  were,  by  whom  he  had  been 
kindly  received  ;  that  the  chief  had  in  his  hand  a  reed,  at  the  end 
whereof  was  made  fast  a  leaf  of  a  French  book,  which  he  had  an 
extraordinary  respect  for ;  that  they  had  been  made  to  sit  on 
bullocks'  hides,  and  treated  with  dried  beef. 

That  after  these  first  ceremonies,  the  chief  had  given  them  to 
understand  that  some  of  their  people  had  been  conducted,  by  a  man 
like  us,  to  our  habitation,  and  that  the  said  man  had  promised  to 
bring  them  to  talk  with  us.  in  order  to  treat  of  peace  ;  but  that,  on 
the  contrary,  we  had  fired  on  them  and  killed  one  of  their  men, 
which  had  obliged  them  to  kill  the  man  that  led  them,  and  that  then 
they  returned.  It  is  not  improper  here  to  put  the  reader  in  mind, 
that  1  have  before  mentioned  this  accident,  when  the  Sieur  Barbier, 
crossing  the  river  in  a  canoe,  was  called  upon  by  some  person,  who 
was  among  the  natives  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  who  had  made  two 
shots,  as  it  had  been  only  the  priming  of  a  piece,  which  the  Sieur 
Barbier  had  looked  upon  as  an  insult,  and  therefore  he  had  also 


140  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

fired,  with  all  the  other  particulars,  as  mentioned  before  ;  an  acci- 
dent that  happened  for  want  of  understanding  one  another ;  which, 
together  with  M.  de  la  Salle's  forbidding  us  to  have  any  communi- 
cation with  the  natives,  was  very  prejudicial  to  us  afterwards. 

After  much  other  discourse,  M.  Moranget  having  given  them  some 
small  presents,  they  made  their  return  in  bullocks'  hides,  and  goats' 
skins  well  dressed.  He  asked  them  for  some  horses  to  barter  ;  they 
answered,  they  had  no  more  than  what  they  stood  in  need  of.  We 
immediately  proceeded  on  our  journey,  and  that  day  being  the  21st. 
went  to  encamp  at  the  edge  of  a  wood. 

The  22d,  we  went  up  to  an  eminence,  terminated  by  a  rock,  at 
the  foot  whereof  ran  a  little  river,  the  bottom  whereof  was  all  of  flat 
rocks,  fit  for  building.  Thence  we  descried  two  natives  driving  of 
bullocks,  which  made  us  stand  upon  our  guard,  and  it  appeared  to 
be  our  Indian,  who  had  met  another,  with  whom  he  had  been 
acquainted  among  the  Cenis,  and  whom  he  had  brought  along  with 
him. 

M.  de  la  Salle  was  very  glad  to  see  him,  and  remembered  he  was 
one  of  those  of  whom  he  had  purchased  a  horse.  He  asked  several 
questions  of  him,  and  among  the  rest,  whether  he  had  not  seen  the 
four  men  who  deserted  in  his  former  journey,  or  heard  any  talk  of 
the  others,  to  whom  he  had  given  leave  to  return  to  our  dwelling. 

'  O  O 

He  answered,  he  had  seen  one  among  the  Cenis,  and  t\vo  others 
among  the  Assonis  ;  but  that  he  had  not  heard  of  any  more,  and  that 
they  must  needs  be  dead  ;  as  also  the  Sieur  Biborel,  who  was  like- 
wise mentioned  to  him. 

He  further  told  us  that  there  were  four  or  five  cottages  there- 
abouts, in  which  about  fifteen  men  resided.  At  night  he  went  away. 
Our  Indian  had  killed  a  cow  at  a  great  distance,  and  shot  her  quite 
through,  at  which  the  other,  who  had  been  an  eyewitness  to  it, 
stood  a  long  time  ama/ed,  without  speaking  one  word,  admiring  the 
effect  of  our  pieces.  That  cow  was  sent  for,  and  the  flesh  brought 
to  our  camp. 

The  2:5d,  we  passed  by  the  cottages  we  had  been  told  of,  where 
the  natives  were  with  their  wives  and  children.  M.  de  la  Salle 
caused  us  to  halt  in  the  village.  We  were  well  received  ;  they  pre- 
sented us  with  dried  beef,  and  we  returned  it  in  some  knives.  We 
saw  two  horses,  one  of  them  a  little  grey,  indifferent  handsome. 
They  told  us  they  would  soon  depart  that  place,  to  go  join  their 
companions,  who  were  in  war  with  their  enemies.  The  rest  of  our 
men  being  come  up,  we  went  on  to  encamp  a  league  from  thence. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  141 

on  the  bank  of  a  rivulet,  and  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  highest  moun- 
tains in  the  country. 

Unloading  our  horses,  we  perceived  there  wanted  a  large  axe> 
which  served  us  for  hewing  down  trees.  M.  de  la  Salle  sent  his 
Indian  to  demand  it,  at  the  village  we  came  from  last ;  the  savages 
said  they  had  not  seen  it,  and  it  was  lost.  He  brought  back  word 
that  the  savages  had  told  him  that  if  we  would  stay  for  them,  they 
would  go  along  with,  and  show  us  the  way. 

However,  we  went  on  the  24th,  and  encamped  on  the  edge  of  a 
marsh.  The  25th,  the  rain  hindered  us  from  marching.  The  26th; 
M.  de  la  Salle  perceiving  how  difficult  and  dangerous  it  w;as  to  cross 
that  marsh,  sent  his  Indian  to  the  others,  to  know  whether  they  really 
designed  to  go  with  us.  They  answered,  we  must  return  thither  to 
join  them.  The  27th,  we  decamped,  in  order  to  it ;  but  took  another 
way  to  go  meet  the  Indians.  The  28th,  we  saw  them  marching  at 
a  distance.  One  of  them  was  detached  to  come  tell  us,  that  he 
would  show  us  the  way  to  cross  the  marsh,  and  we  went  on  and 
encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  high  mountain  I  have  spoken  of. 

The  1st  of  March  we  joined  the  Indians,  on  the  edge  of  the  marsh, 
which  we  had  just  crossed,  where  the  rains  kept  us  till  the  5th,  during 
which  time  we  went  to  find  out  where  we  might  pass  a  rapid  torrent 
that  discharges  itself  into  the  river,  called  Canoes,  which  we 
passed  the  6th,  in  the  canoe  we  had  made,  and  which  did  us  good 
service,  to  pass  other  rivers  we  met  with,  the  7th  and  the  8th,  on  our 
way. 

The  9th,  we  did  not  stir,  because  of  the  rain.  The  10th,  en- 
camped on  the  bank  of  a  small  river,  which  we  crossed  the  llth,  and 
the  same  day  another,  and  encamped  on  the  bank  of  it,  and  found  it 
adorned  with  very  fine  mulberry  trees.  The  12th,  we  crossed 
another  river,  and  encamped  near  it.  The  13th,  came  again  to  the 
river  of  Canoes,  so  called  by  M.  dc  la  Salle,  because  he  the  lirst 
time  put  canoes  into  it,  at  his  former  journey.  We  passed  it  the 
14th.  and  encamped  on  the  other  side,  where  we  again  joined  the 
Indians. 

The  loth,  we  held  on  our  journey  with  them,  and  found  a  plea 
santer  country  than  that  we  had  passed  through  ;  and  M.  de  la  Salle 
having,  in  his  former  journey,  hid  some  Indian  wheat  and  beans,  two 
or  three  leagues  from  that  place,  and  our  provisions  beginning  to 
fall  short,  it  was  thought  fit  to  go  to  that  place.  Accordingly  he 
ordered  the  Sieurs  Duhaut,  lliens,  Liotot,  the  surgeon,  his  own 
Indian,  and  his  footman,  whose  name  was  Sa";et.  who  \\ere  followed 


14^  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

by  some  natives,  to  go  to  the  place  he  described  to  thorn,  where  they 
found  all  rotten,  and  quite  spoilt. 

The  10th,  in  their  return,  they  met  with  t\vo  bullocks,  which  M. 
do  la  Sulle's  Indian  killed,  whereupon  they  sent  back  his  fbutinan,  to 
give  him  notice  of  what  they  had  killed,  that  if  he  would  have  the 
flesh  dried  he  might  send  horses  for  it.  The  17th,  M.  de  la  Salle  had 
the  horses  taken  up,  and  ordered  the  Sieurs  Moranget  and  De  Male, 
and  his  footman,  to  go  for  that  meat,  and  send  back  a  horseload  im- 
mediately, till  the  rest  was  dried. 

M.  Moranget,  when  he  came  thither,  found  they  had  smoked  both 
the  beeves,  though  they  were  not  dry  enough  ;  and  the  said  Sieurs 
Liotot,  Iliens,  Duhaut.  and  the  rest,  had  laid  aside  the  marrow. bones 
and  others  1o  roast  them,  and  eat  the  flesh  that  remained  on  them,  as 
was  usual  to  do.  The  Sieur  Moranget  found  fault  with  it ;  he  in  a 
passion  sei/.cd  not  only  the  ilesh  that  was  smoked  and  dried,  but  also 
the  bones,  without  giving  them  anything  ;  but.  on  the  contrarv.  threat- 
ening they  should  not  eat  so  much  of  it,  as  they  had  imagined,  and 
that  he  would  manage  that  flesh  after  another  manner. 

This  passionate  behavior,  so  much  out  of  season,  and  contrary  to 
reason  and  custom,  touched  the  Surgeon  Liotot,  Ileins,  and  Duhaut. 
to  the  quick,  they  having  oilier  causes  of  complaint  against  Moran- 
get. They  withdrew,  and  resolved  together  upon  a  bloody  revenge; 
they  agreed  upon  the  manner  of  it.  and  concluded  they  would  mur- 
der the  .Sieur  Moranget,  M.  de  la  Salle:s  footman,  and  his  Indian,  be- 
cause he  was  very  faithful  to  him. 

The\-  waited  till  night,  when  those  unfortunate  creatures  had 
supped  and  were  asleep.  Liotot,  the  surgeon,  was  the  inhuman  execu- 
tioner ;  he  took  an  axe,  and  began  by  the  Sieur  Moranget,  giving  him 
many  strokes  on  the  head  ;  the  same  he  did  by  the  lootman  and  the 
Indian,  killing  them  on  the  spot,  whilst  his  fellow  villains,  \i/.,  Du- 


their arms,  to  lire  upon  such  us  should  make  any  resistance.  The 
Indian  and  the  footman  never  stirred,  but  the  Sieur  Moranget  had  :iO 
much  \igor  as  to  sit  up,  but  without  being  able  to  speak  one  word  ; 
and  the  assassins  obliged  the  Sieur  de  .Marie  to  make  an  end  of  him, 
though  he  was  not  in  the  conspiracy. 

This  slaughter  had  yet  satisfied  but  one  part  of  the  revenge  of 
those  murderers.  To  finish  il.  and  secure  themselves,  it  was  requi- 
site to  destroy,  tin-  commander-in-ehief.  They  consulted  about  tin.1 
safest  method  to  elleot  it,  and  resolved  to  go  together  to  M.  de  la  Salle. 
to  knock  out  the  bruins  of  the  most  resolute  immediately,  and  then  it, 


JOUTELS    HISTORICAL    JOUKXAL.  143 

would  bo  easier  to  overcome  the  rest.  But  the  river,  which  was  be- 
tween them  and  us,  being  much  swollen,  the  difficulty  of  passing  it 
made  them  put  it  off  the  18th  and  19th.  On  the  other  hand,  M.  de 
la  Salle  was  very  uneasy,  on  account  of  their  long  stay.  His  impa- 
tience made  him  resolve  to  go  himself  to  find  out  his  people,  arid  to 
know  the  cause  of  it. 

This  was  not  done  without  many  previous  tokens  of  concern  and 
apprehension.  lie  seemed  to  have  some  presage  of  his  misfortune, 
inquiring  of  some,  whether  the  Sieur  Liotot,  Hiens,  and  Duhaut,  had 
not  expressed  some  discontent;  and  not  hearing  anything  of  it,  he 
could  not  forbear  setting  out  the  20th,  with  Father  Anastasius  and  an 
Indian,  leaving  me  the  command  in  his  absence,  and  charging  me 
from  time  to  time  to  go  the  rounds  about  our  camp,  to  prevent  being 
surprised,  and  to  make  a  smoke  for  him  to  direct  his  way  in  case  of 
need.  When  he  came  near  the  dwelling  of  the  murderers,  looking 
out  sharp  to  discover  something,  he  observed  eagles  fluttering  about 

1  O  '  O  O 

a  spot  not  far  from  them,  which  made  him  believe  they  had  found 
some  carrion  about  the  mansion,  and  he  fired  a  shot,  which  was  the 
signal  of  his  death,  and  forwarded  it. 

The  conspirators  hearing  the  shot,  concluded  it  was  M.  de  la  Salic. 
who  was  come  to  seek  them.  They  made  ready  their  arms,  and  pro- 
vided to  surprise  him.  Duhaut  passed  the  river,  with  Larchevcque. 
The  first  of  them  spying  M.  dc  la  Salle  at  a  distance,  as  he  was 
coming  towards  them,  advanced  and  hid  themselves  among  the  high, 
weeds,  to  wait  his  passing  by,  so  that  M.  de  la  Salle,  suspecting  no- 
thing, and  having  not  so  much  as  charged  his  piece  again,  saw  the 
aforesaid  Larcheveque  at  a  good  distance  from  him,  and  immediately 
asked  for  his  nephew  Moranget.  to  which  Larcheveque  answered, 
that  he  was  along  the  river.  At  the  same  time  the  traitor  Duhaut 
fired  his  piece  and  shot  M.  de  la  Salle  through  the  head,  so  that  he 
dropped  down  dead  on  the  spot,  without  speaking  one  word. 

Father  Anastasius,  who  was  then  by  his  side,  stood  stock  still  in  a 
fright,  expecting  the  same  fate,  and  not  knowing  whether  lie  should 
go  forwards  or  backwards;  but  the  murderer  Duhaut  put  him  out  of 
that  dread,  bidding  him  not  to  fear,  for  no  hurt  was  intended  him  ; 
that  it  was  despair  that  had  prevailed  with  him  to  do  what  he  saw  ; 
that  ho  had  long  desired  to  be  revenged  on  Moranget,  because  hi-  hud 
designed  to  ruin  him.  and  that  he  was  partly  the  occasion  of  his 
uncle's  death.  This  is  the  exact  relation  of  that  murder,  a^  it  was 
presently  after  told  me  by  Father  Anastasius. 

Such  was  the  unfortunate  end  of  M.  de  la  Salle's  life,  at  a  time  when 


144  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

he  might  entertain  the  greatest  hopes,  as  the  reward  of  his  labors.  He 
had  a  capacity  and  talent  to  make  his  enterprise  successful ;  his  con- 
stancy and  courage,  and  his  extraordinary  knowledge  in  arts  and 
sciences,  which  rendered  him  fit  for  anything,  together  with  an  inde- 
fatigable body,  which  made  him  surmount  all  difficulties,  would  have 
procured  a  glorious  issue  to  his  undertaking,  had  not  all  those  excel- 
lent qualities  been  counterbalanced  by  too  haughty  a  behavior,  which 
sometimes  made  him  insupportable,  and  by  a  rigidness  towards  those 
that  were  under  his  command,  which  at  last  drew  on  him  implacable 
hatred,  arid  was  the  occasion  of  his  death. 

The  shot  which  had  killed  M.  do  la  Salle  was  also  a  signal  of  the 
murder  to  the  assassins  for  them  to  draw  near.  They  all  repaired  to 
the  place  where  the  wretched  dead  corpse  lay,  which  they  barbarous- 
ly stripped  to  the  shirt,  and  vented  their  malice  in  vile  and  opprobri- 
ous language.  The  surgeon,  Liotot,  said  several  times  in  scorn  and 
derision,  "  There  thou  liest,  great  bassa,  there  thou  liest.'"'  In  conclu- 
sion, thev  dragged  it  naked  among  the  bushes,  and  left  it  exposed  to  the 

?  %>  ~O  O 

ravenous  wild  beasts.  So  far  was  it  from  what  a  certain  author 
writes,  of  their  having  buried  him,  and  set  up  a  cross  on  his  grave. 

When  those  murderers  had  satiated  their  rage,  they  set  out  to 
come  to  us  at  our  camp,  with  the  dried  flesh  which  they  had  caused 
to  be  brought  over  the  river  by  the  Indians,  who  had  been  spectators 
of  the  murder,  and  of  all  the  inhuman  actions  that  had  been  com- 
mitted, with  amazement  and  contempt  of  us.  When  they  were  come 
to  the  camp  they  found  MM.  Cavelier,  the  one  brother,  the  other 
nephew,  to  the  murdered  commander,  whom  Father  Anastasius  ac- 
quainted with  the  dismal  end  of  our  chief,  and  enjoined  them  silence, 
which  it  is  easy  to  imagine  was  very  hard  upon  them  •  but  it  was 
absolutely  necessary. 

However,  M.  Cavelier,  the  priest;  could  not  forbear  telling  them, 
that  it'  they  would  do  the  same  by  him  he  would  forgive  them  his 
murder,  and  only  desired  them  to  give  him  a  quarter  of  an  hour  to 
prepare  himself.  They  answered,  they  had  nothing  to  say  to  him  : 
that  what  they  had  done  was  the  effect  of  despair,  to  be  revenged  for 
the  ill  usage  they  had  received. 

I  was  absent  at  that  time  :  lie  they  called  Larcheveque.  who.  as  i 
have  said,  was  one  of  the  conspirators,  had  some  kindness  lor  me. 
and  knowing  they  designed  to  make  me  a\\av  too,  if  .1  stood  upoi: 
my  defence,  he  parted  from  them,  to  give  me  notice  of  their  mis- 
chievous resolution.  He  found  me  on  a  little  rising  ground,  where  i 
u  as  linking  upon  utir  horses  as  they  gra/ed  in  a  little  adjacent  hot- 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  145 

torn.  His  intelligence  struck  me  to  the  heart,  not  knowing  whether 
I  should  fly  or  stay  ;  but  at  length,  having  neither  powder,  nor  shot, 
nor  arms,  and  the  said  Larcheveque  giving  me  assurances  of  my  life, 
provided  I  was  quiet  and  said  nothing,  I  committed  myself  to  God's 
protection,  and  went  to  them,  without  taking  any  notice  of  what  had 
been  done. 

Duhaut,  puffed  up  with  his  new  gotten  authority,  procured  him  by 
his  villainy,  as  soon  as  he  saw  me  cried  out,  "  Every  man  ought  to 
command  in  his  turn ;"  to  which  I  made  no  answer  ;  and  we  were 
all  of  us  obliged  to  stifle  our  resentment,  that  it  might  not  appear,  for 
our  lives  depended  on  it.  However,  it  was  easy  to  judge  with  what 
eyes  Father  Anastasius,  MM.  Cavelier,  and  I,  beheld  these  murder- 
ers, to  whom  we  expected  every  moment  to  fall  sacrifices.  It  is  true 
we  dissembled  so  well  that  they  were  not  very  suspicious  of  us,  and 
that  the  temptation  we  were  under  of  making  them  away  in  revenge 
for  those  they  had  murdered  would  have  easily  prevailed  and  been 
put  in  execution,  had  not  M.  Cavelier,  the  priest,  always  positively 
opposed  it,  alleging  that  we  ought  to  leave  vengeance  to  God. 

However,  the  murderers  seized  upon  all  the  effects,  without  any 
opposition,  and  then  we  began  to  talk  of  proceeding  on  our  journey. 
We  decamped  the  2lst,  with  our  Indians,  and  marched  with  such  a 
heavy  rain,  that  we  were  obliged  to  halt  on  the  bank  of  a  great 
stream,  where  one  of  the  natives  that  had  left  us  arrived  with  his 
wife.  We  went  on  the  22d  and  23d,  and  passed  the  river  where 
Father  Anastasius,  M.  Cavelier,  and  I,  who  could  not  swim,  had 
been  drowned  but  that  the  natives  assisted  and  saved  us.  The  24th, 
we  went  on  through  a  marshy  country,  never  quitting  a  small  path 
which  led  to  the  village  of  the  Cenis,  till  the  23th,  when  we  rested 
on  the  bank  of  a  river  of  the  same  name,  though  about  ten  leagues 

*  O  O 

distant  from  the  village. 

AVe  had  hoped  to  ford  that  river,  as  M.  dc  la  Salic  had  done,  when 
he  returned  from  that  country;  but  it  was  so  swollen  that  there  was 
no  doing  it,  and  we  were  forced  to  make  a  canoe  of  bullocks'  hides. 
Whilst  we  were  employed  at  that  work,  the  Indians  swam  over  and 
went  to  give  notice  to  the  Cenis  of  our  arrival. 

AVe  found  the  country  pleasant  enough   about  that  river,  though 

•/       J  O  /  O 

the  land  did  not  seem  to  be  any  of  the  best ;  but  still  it  was  delight- 
ful to  the  eye,  well  planted  with  fine  trees  of  several  sorts,  among 
which  is  one  that  M.  de  la  Salle  had  named  Copal,  being  very  beau- 
tiful, the  leaves  of  it  between  those  of  the  maple  and  the  lime  trees 
in  resemblance,  and  from  it  comes  a  gum  of  a  very  agreeable  scent. 

11 


146  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

In  the  same  place  we  saw  a  great  tree,  on  which  the  late  M.  de  la 
Salle  had  caused  crosses  and  the  arms  of  France  to  be  carved. 

The  hunting  of  bullocks  had  failed  us,  and  we  had  seen  none 
from  the  place  where  our  late  leader  had  been  murdered.  Thus  our 
provisions  began  to  fall  short,  and  it  was  resolved  on  the  29th,  to 
send  some  men  before  to  the  village  of  the  Cenis,  to  know  whether 
they  had  any  Indian  corn,  and  were  willing  to  barter  for  it.  I  was 
appointed,  with  the  surgeon  Liotot,  the  Tessieers,  and  Hiens,  who  was 
a  buccaneer  M.  dc  la  Salle  had  taken  up  at  Petit  Gouave,  to  go  with 
him  upon  this  expedition.  I  was  very  unwilling  to  undertake  that 
journey  with  a  murderer  and  two  of  his  companions,  of  whom  I  was 
suspicious  ;  but  it  was  very  requisite  to  obey,  and  Duhaut  having  all 
the  effects  in  his  possession,  alleging  that  a  great  part  of  them  be- 
longed to  him,  he  gave  us  some  axes  and  knives  to  barter  for  Indian 

O  '  O 

corn,  as  also  for  horses,  if  any  were  to  be  had,  and  accordingly  we 
passed  the  river. 

We  found  the  country  made  up  of  several  little  hills  of  an  indif- 
ferent height,  on  which  there  are  abundance  of  walnut  trees  and 
oaks,  not  so  large  as  what  we  had  seen  before,  but  very  agreeable. 
The  weeds  which  had  been  some  time  before  burnt  by  the  natives, 
began  to  spring  up  again,  and  discovered  large  green  fields  very 
pleasing  to  the  sight. 

When  we  had  travelled  some  time  we  discovered  three  men  on 
horseback,  coming  towards  us  from  the  village,  and  being  come  near 
them,  saw  one  dressed  after  the  Spanish  fashion,  with  a  little  doublet, 
the  body  whereof  was  of  blue,  and  the  sleeves  of  white  fustian,  as 
it  M'ere  embroidered,  with  very  straight  breeches,  white  worsted 
stockings,  woollen  garters,  a  broad-brimmed,  flat-crowned  hat,  and 
long  hair.  We  presently  concluded  he  was  a  Spaniard,  and  the 
rather  because  we  had  been  told  that  some  of  them  were  come  to 
join  in  league  with  the  Cenis  against  an  enemy  nation,  and  we  \vere 
at  a  nonplus  ;  for  if  we  fell  into  their  hands  we  must  never  expect 
to  get  away,  but  be  condemned  to  serve  cither  in  the  mines,  or  in  the 
quarries,  in  the  kingdom  of  Mexico,  for  which  reason  we  provided  to 
give  the  pretended  Spaniard  an  unkind  reception,  and  then  to  make 
the  best  of  our  way  back. 

Being  come  up  to  him,  I  spoke  some  words  of  Spanish  and  Italian, 
to  which  he  returned  no  answer  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  made  use  of 
the  word  roussiai.  which,  in  the  language  of  the  Cenis,  signifies,  I  do 
not  inidcrsland  you  ;  which  answer  of  his  removed  our  apprehensions. 
The  two  others  were  quite  naked,  one  of  them  being  mounted  on  a 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  147 

fine  grey  mare,  and  on  her  were  besides  two  panniers,  handsomely 
made  of  reeds,  full  of  very  fine  meal  parched,  or  roasted.  After 
several  questions,  to  which  we  had  no  very  satisfactory  answers,  we 
lighted  fire  to  make  them  smoke,  and  then  they  presented  us  with 
the  two  panniers  full  of  meal,  giving  us  to  understand  that  their  chief 
expected  us  in  the  village,  and  having  signified  that  they  were  sent 
to  meet  us,  we  gave  them  some  knives  and  strings  of  beads. 

We  asked  them  whether  they  had  any  men  among  them  like  him 
that  was  a  horseback  in  the  Spanish  habit ;  they  answered,  there 
were  two  in  a  neighboring  nation,  called  Assony,  and  that  he  who 
was  clad,  had  been  in  their  country,  and  brought  thence  the  clothes 
we  saw  him  wear.  That  man  then  showed  us  a  Spanish  printed 
paper,  containing  the  indulgences  granted  to  the  missioners  of  New 
Mexico.  After  this  they  left  us  to  go  on,  to  our  people,  for  which 
reason  I  wrote  a  note,  giving  an  account  of  our  having  met  them. 

We  alighted  to  eat,  and  let  our  horses  graze  on  the  bank  of  a 
rivulet ;  but  it  was  not  long  before  the  same  natives,  who  had  been 
with  us  before,  appeared  again  hard  by  us.  We  made  signs  to  them 
to  draw  near  and  eat  with  us  ;  which  they  did,  and  then  went  along 
with  us  towards  the  village,  which  we  would  not  go  into,  because  it 
was  night.  The  Indian  that  was  clad,  stayed  all  night  with  us,  and 
the  two  others  went  away. 

When  it  Avas  day,  we  held  on  our  way  to  the  village  ;  the  Indian 
that  was  with  us  conducting  us  to  their  chief's  cottage.  By  the 
way,  we  saw  many  other  cottages,  and  the  ciders  coming  to  meet  us 
in  their  formalities,  which  consisted  in  some  goats'  skins  dressed  and 
painted  of  several  colors,  which  they  wore  on  their  shoulders  like 
belts,  and  plumes  of  feathers  of  several  colors,  on  their  heads,  like 
coronets.  Six  or  seven  of  them  had  square  sword  blades,  like  the 
Spanish,  on  the  hilts  whereof  they  had  fastened  great  plumes  of  fea- 
thers, and  several  hawk's  bells  ;  some  of  them  had  clubs,  which  they 
call  head-breakers,  some  only  their  bows  and  arrows;  others,  bits  of 
white  linen,  reaching  from  shoulder  to  shoulder.  All  their  faces 

'  O 

were  daubed  with  black  or  red.  There  were  twelve  elders  who 
walked  in  the  middle,  and  the  youth  and  warriors  in  ranks,  on  the 
sides  of  those  old  men. 

Being  come  up  to  us  in  that  manner,  he  that  conducted  us  made 
a  sign  for  us  to  halt,  which,  when  we  had  done,  all  the  old  men  lifted 
up  their  right  hands  above  their  heads,  crying  out  in  a  most  ridicu- 
lous manner ;  but  it  behoved  us  to  have  a  care  of  laughing.  That 
done,  they  came  and  embraced  us,  using  all  sorts  of  endearments. 


148  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

Then  they  made  us  smoke,  and  brought  to  us  a  Frenchman  of  Pro- 
vence, who  was  one  of  those  that  had  forsaken  the  late  M.  de  la 
Salle,  at  his  first  journey. 

The  whole  company  conducted  us  after  the  same  manner,  to  their 
chief's  cottage ;  and  after  we  had  stayed  there  a  short  time,  they  led 
us  to  a  larger  cottage,  a  quarter  of  a  league  from  thence,  being  the 
hut  in  which  they  have  their  public  rejoicings,  and  the  great  assem- 
blies. We  found  it  furnished  with  mats  for  us  to  sit  on.  The  elders 
seated  themselves  round  about  us,  and  they  brought  us  to  eat  some 
sagamite,  which  is  their  pottage,  little  beans,  bread  made  of  Indian 
corn,  and  another  sort  they  make  with  boiled  flour,  and  at  last  they 
made  us  smoke. 

During  our  repast,  they  entertained  us  with  the  discourse  of  their 
design  to  make  war  on  a  nation,  who  were  their  enemies,  and  whom 

O  •  * 

they  called  Cannokantimo.  When  it  was  over,  we  presented  them, 
according  to  custom,  with  some  knives  and  strings  of  beads  for  their 
wives.  We  desired  them  to  afford  us  some  Indian  corn  in  exchange 
for  other  tilings,  which  they  promised,  and  the  Frenchman  who  was 
with  them,  having  told  us  that  there  was  a  district  which  afforded 
more  corn  than  that  where  we  were,  and  where  his  cottage  was,  we 
resolved  to  go  thither.  We  proposed  it  to  the  elders,  who  would  needs 
go  along  with  us,  attended  by  a  great  number  of  youth,  and  having 
got  ready  our  horses,  we  set  out  for  that  place. 

By  the  way,  we  saw  several  cottages  at  certain  distances,  strag- 
gling up  and  down,  as  the  ground  happens  to  be  fit  for  tillage.  The 
field  lies  about  the  cottage,  and  at.  other  distances  there  are  other 
large  huts  not  inhabited,  but  only  serving  for  public  assemblies, 
either  upon  occasion  of  rejoicings,  or  to  consult  about  peace  and 
war. 

The  cottages  that  are  inhabited,  are  not  each  of  them  for  a  private 
family,  for  in  some  of  them  there  are  fifteen  or  twenty,  each  of  which 
has  its  nook  or  corner,  bed  and  other  utensils  to  itself;  but  without 
any  partition  to  separate  it  from  the  rest.  However,  they  have 
nothing  in  common  besides  the  fire,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  hut, 
and  never  goes  out.  It  is  made  of  great  trees,  the  ends  whereof  are 
laid  together,  so  that  "hen  once  lighted,  it  lasts  a  lonir  time,  and  the 

L  w^  O  ' 

first  comer  takes  care  to  keep  it  up. 

The  cottages  are  round  at  the  top,  after  the  manner  of  a  bee-hive, 
or  a  rick  of  hay.  Some  of  them  are  sixty  feet  diameter.  ]n  order 
to  build  them  they  plant  trees  as  thick  as  a  man's  thi^h,  tall  and 

*••       i  O      ' 

straight,  and  placing  them  in  a  circle,  and  joining  the  tops  together 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  149 

from  the  dome  or  round  top,  then  they  lash  and  cover  them  with 
weeds.  When  they  remove  their  dwellings,  they  generally  burn  the 
cottages  they  leave,  and  build  new  on  the  ground  they  design  to  in- 
habit. 

Their  moveables  are  some  bullocks'  hides  and  goat  skins  well  cured, 
some  mats  close  wove,  wherewith  they  adorn  their  huts,  and  some 
earthen  vessels  which  they  are  very  skilful  at  making,  and  wherein 
they  boil  their  flesh  or  roots,  or  sagamise,  which,  as  has  been  said, 
is  their  pottage.  They  have  also  some  small  baskets  made  of  canes, 
serving  to  put  in  their  fruit  and  other  provisions.  Their  beds  are 
made  of  canes,  raised  two  or  three  feet  above  the  ground,  handsomely 
fitted  with  mats  and  bullocks'  hides,  or  goat  skins  well  cured,  which 
serve  them  for  feather  beds,  or  quilts  and  blankets;  and  those  beds 
are  parted  one  from  another  by  mats  hung  up. 

When  they  design  to  till  the  ground,  they  give  one  another  no- 
lice,  and  very  often  above  a  hundred  of  each  sex  meet  together. 
When  they  have  tilled  that  piece  of  land,  after  their  manner,  and 
spent  part  of  the  day,  those  the  land  belongs  to  give  the  others  to 
eat,  and  then  they  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  in  dancing  and  merry 
making.  This  same  is  practised  from  canton  to  canton,  and  so  they 
till  the  land  all  together. 

This  tillage  consists  in  breaking  up  just  the  surface  of  the  earth 
with  a  sort  of  wooden  instrument,  like  a  little  pickaxe,  which  they 
make  by  splitting  the  end  of  a  thick  piece  of  wood,  that  serves  for  a 
handle,  and  putting  another  piece  of  wood  sharp  pointed  at  one  end 
into  the  slit.  This  instrument  serves  them  instead  of  a  hoe,  or  spade, 
for  they  have  no  iron  tools.  When  the  land  has  been  thus  tilled  or 
broken  up,  the  women  sow  and  plant  the  Indian  corn,  beans,  pompions, 
water  melons,  and  other  grain  and  garden  ware,  which  is  for  their 
sustenance. 

The  Indians  are  generally  handsome,  but  disfigure  themselves  by 
making  scores  or  streaks  on  their  faces,  from  the  top  of  the  forehead 
down  the  nose  to  the  tip  of  the  chin ;  which  is  done  by  pricking  the 
skin  with  needles,  or  other  sharp  instruments,  till  it  bleeds,  whereon 
they  strew  fine  powder  of  charcoal,  and  that  sinks  in  and  mixes  with 
the  blood  within  the  skin.  They  also  make,  after  the  same  manner, 
the  figures  of  living  creatures,  of  leaves  and  flowers  on  their  shoul- 
ders, thighs,  and  other  pans  of  their  bodies,  and  paint  themselves,  as 
has  been  said  before,  with  black  or  red.  and  sometimes  both  together. 

The  women  arc  generally  well  shaped,  and  would  not  be  disagree- 

c1  •/  i  *  O 

able-  did  thev  adhere  to  nature,  but  thev  disguise  themselves  as  ridi- 


150  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

culously  as  the  men,  not  only  with  the  streak  they  have  like  them 
clown  their  face,  but  by  other  figures  they  make  on  it,  at  the  corners 
of  their  eyes,  and  on  other  parts  of  their  bodies,  whereof  they  make 
more  particular  show  on  their  bosom,  and  those  who  have  the  most, 
are  reckoned  the  handsomest,  though  that  pricking  in  that  part  be 
extremely  painful  to  them. 

It  is  they  that  do  all  the  work  in  the  cottage,  either  in  pounding 
the  Indian  corn  and  baking  the  meal,  or  making  the  pottage  of  the 
said  meal,  by  them  called  sagamite,  or  in  dressing  their  other  provi- 
sions, or  drying,  or  parching,  or  smoking  their  flesh,  fetching  the 
wood  they  have  occasion  for,  or  the  flesh  of  bullocks,  or  other  beasts 
killed  by  their  husbands  in  the  woods,  which  are  often  at  a  great  dis- 
tance, and  afterwards  dressing  them,  as  has  been  said.  They  sow 
and  plant,  when  the  land  has  been  broken  up,  and,  in  short,  do  almost 
all  that  is  requisite  for  the  support  of  life. 

I  did  not  observe  that  those  women  were  naturally  given  to  lewd- 
ness  ;  but  their  virtue  is  not  proof  against  some  of  our  toys,  when 
presented  them,  as  needles,  knives,  and  more  particularly  strings  of 
beads,  whereof  they  make  necklaces  and  bracelets,  and  that  tempta- 
tion is  rarely  resisted  by  them,  and  the  less,  because  they  have  no 
religion  or  law  to  prohibit  that  vile  practice.  It  is  true  their  hus- 
bands, when  they  take  them  in  the  fact,  sometimes  do  punish  them, 
either  by  separation  or  otherwise  •  but  that  is  rare. 

The  country  of  those  Indians  being  generally  subject  to  no  cold, 
almost  all  of  them  go  naked  ;  unless  when  the  north  wind  blows, 
then  they  cover  themselves  with  a  bullock's  hide,  or  goat's  skin 
cured.  The  women  wear  nothing  but  a,  skin,  mat,  or  clout,  hang- 
ing round  them  like  a  petticoat,  and  reaching  down  half  way  their 
legs,  which  hides  their  nakedness  before  and  behind.  On  their 
heads  they  have  nothing  but  their  hair  platted  and  knotted  behind. 

As  for  their  manners,  it  may  be  said  of  these,  as  of  all  other  In- 
dians of  that  great  continent,  that  they  arc  not  mischievous,  unless 
wronged  or  attacked  ;  in  which  case  they  are  all  fierce  and  revenge- 
ful. They  watch  all  opportunities  to  be  revenged,  and  never  let  any 
slip,  when  offered,  which  is  the  cause  of  their  being  continually  at 
war  with  their  neighbors,  and  of  that  martini  humor,  so  predominant 
among  them. 

As  to  the  knowledge  of  a  ( <od,  they  did  not  seem  to  us  to  have 
any  fixed  notion  of  him  :  it  is  true,  wo  met  with  some  on  our  way,. 
who.  as  far  as  we  could  jud^o.  believed  there  was  some  superior 
I'lciii'i.  which  "'as  ub'>ve  all  things,  and  this  they  testified  by  lifting 


JOUTBL  S    HISTORICAL    JOURNAL.  151 

up  their  hands  and  eyes  to  heaven,  yet  without  any  manner  of  con- 
cern, as  believing  that  the  said  exalted  Being  does  not  regard  at  all 
what  is  done  here  below.  However,  none  of  them  having  any  places 
of  worship,  ceremonies  or  prayers,  to  denote  the  divine  homage,  it 
may  be  said  of  them  all,  that  they  have  no  religion,  at  least  those 
tht.t  we  saw. 

However,  they  observe  some  ceremonies ;  but  whether  they  have 
any  regard  to  a  real  or  pretended  superior  Being,  or  whether  they 
are  only  popular,  and  proceeding  from  custom,  is  what  we  were  not 
able  to  discover.  Those  ceremonies  are  as  follow  :  When  the  corn 
is  ripe,  they  gather  a  certain  quantity  in  a  maund  or  basket,  which 
is  placed  on  a  sort  of  seat  or  stool,  dedicated  to  that  use,  and  serving 
only  upon  those  mysterious  occasions,  which  they  have  a  great  vene- 
ration for. 

The  basket,  with  the  corn,  being  placed  on  that  honored  stool,  one 
of  the  elders  holds  out  his  hands  over  it,  and  talks  a  long  time  ;  after 
which,  the  said  old  man  distributes  the  corn  among  the  women,  and 
no  person  is  allowed  to  eat  of  the  new  corn,  till  eight  days  after  that 
ceremony.  This  seems  to  be  in  the  nature  of  offering  up  or  blessing 
the  first  fruits  of  their  harvest. 

At  their  assemblies,  when  the  sagamite,  or  pottage,  which  is  the 
most  essential  part  of  their  meal,  is  boiled  in  a  great  pot,  they  place 
that  pot  on  the  stool  of  ceremony  above  mentioned,  and  one  of  the 
elders  stretches  out  his  hands  over  it,  muttering  some  words  between 
his  teeth  for  a  considerable  time,  after  which,  they  fall  to  eating. 

When  the  young  folks  are  grown  up  to  be  fit  to  go  to  the  wars, 
and  take  upon  them  to  be  soldiers,  their  garment,  consisting  of  some 
skin,  or  clout,  together  with  their  bow,  quiver  and  arrows,  is  placed 
on  the  aforesaid  stool ;  an  old  man  stretching  out  his  hands  over  them, 
mutters  the  words  as  above,  and  then  the  garments,  bows,  quivers, 
and  arrows  are  given  to  the  persons  they  belong  to.  This  may  be 
compared  to  something  of  a  ceremony  of  knighting  among  them. 
The  same  ceremonies  are  used  by  them  in  the  cultivation  of  their 
grain  and  product,  but  particularly  of  the  tobacco,  whereof  they  have 
a  sort  which  has  smaller  leaves  than  ours  ;  it  is  almost  ever  green, 
and  they  use  it  in  leaves. 

This  is  what  we  observed  among  the  Cenis,  whose  customs  and 
manners  differ  very  little  from  those  of  other  nations,  which  we  had 
seen  before  and  saw  afterwards.  As  to  the  point  of  religion,  it  is  not 
to  be  inferred  from  what  1  have  said  above,  that  there  is  none 
throughout  that  vast  continent.  The  account  I  have  given  onlv  re- 


152  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

gards  those  nations  we  saw  ;  there  may  be  others  that  have  some 
worship,  and  I  remember  I  have  heard  M.  de  la  Salle  say,  that  the 
nation  called  Takensa,  neighboring  on  the  Illinois,  adored  the  fire, 
and  that  they  had  cottages  which  they  made  use  of  as  temples. 

Before  I  conclude  this  short  account  of  the  religion,  customs,  and 
manners  of  the  Cenis,  which  belonged  properly  to  this  place,  it  is  lit 
here  also  to  observe,  that  the  word  nation  is  not  to  be  understood, 
among  those  Indians,  to  denote  a  people  possessing  a  whole  province, 
or  vast  extent  of  land.  Those  nations  are  no  other  than  a  parcel  of 
villages,  dispersed  for  the  space  of  twenty  or  thirty  leagues  at  most, 
which  compose  a  distinct  people  or  nation  •  and  they  differ  from  one 
another  rather  in  language  than  in  manners,  wherein  they  are  all 
much  alike,  or  at  least  they  vary  but  little,  as  has  been  mentioned 
above.  As  for  the  names  of  them,  here  follow  those  of  such  as  we 
travelled  through;  or  were  near  the  way  we  held  from  our  leaving 
our  habitation  near  the  bay  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  till  we  came  among 
the  Cenis. 

The  Spicheats,  Kabayes,  Thccamons,  Thearemets,  Niabaha, 
Chauinenes,  Kouans,  Arhau,  Enepiahe,  Abonerhopiheirn,  Koienkahe, 
Konkone,  Omcaosse,  Kercmen,  Ahckouen,  Meghty,  Tetamenes, 
Otenmarhen.  Kouayon,  and  Meracouman.  All  these  nations  are  on 
the  north  of  the  river  called  La  Maligne.  Those  that  follow,  are  on 
the  west  and  north-west  of  the  same  river. 

The  Kannchouan,  Tohaha,  Pihir,  Cagabegux,  Onapien,  Pickar. 
Tokau,  Kuasses,  Chancres,  Teserabocretes.  Tsepehouen,  Fercuu- 
tcha,  Panego,  Petao,  Pet/are,  Peisacho,  Peihoun.  Orcan  and  Piou.. 
This  last  nation  borders  upon  the  Cenis,  at  the  entrance  into  whose 
first  village  1  left  my  reader,  to  give  an  account  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  thither  I  return,  to  proceed  with  my  relation  on  our  journey  to 
the  village,  the  Frenchman  who  lived  among  the  natives  was  to 
conduct  us  to. 

We  arrived  there  at  night,  and  found  other  elders  coming  out  to 
meet  us,  much  after  the  same  manner  as  the  others  mentioned  before, 
They  led  us  to  their  cottage,  made  us  sit  down  on  mats  and  smoke, 
but  not  v\ith  so  much  ceremony  as  the  olhers.  That  done,  it  was 
time  for  u>  to  take  our  rest,  having  given  them  to  understand  that 
ue  were  wearv. 

The  French  proven^al  would  needs  have  us  go  to  his  cottage,  thai 
i  >.  to  the  hut  where  he  had  his  dwelling  ;  for.  as  1  have  said,  there 
are  several  families  in  Onc  of  them,  and  that  was  one  of  the  greater. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  153 

iu  the  canton,  having  been  the  habitation  of   one  of  their  chiefs 
lately  deceased. 

They  allotted  us  a  place  there  for  our  goods  and  packs  ;  the 
women  immediately  made  sagamite  or  pottage,  and  gave  it  us. 
Having;  eaten,  we  asked  the  Frenchman  whether  we  were  safe, 

O  '  * 

and  he  answering  \ve  were,  we  lay  down,  but  yet  could  not  sleep 
sound. 

The  next  day,  being  the  1st  of  April,  the  elders  came  to  receive 
and  conduct  us  to  the  cottage  where  we  had  been  the  day  before. 
After  the  usual  ceremonies,  we  traded  with  them  for  corn,  meal  and 
beans,  giving  in  exchange  for  the  same,  needles,  knives,  rings,  and 
other  toys.  We  also  purchased  a  very  fine  horse,  that  would  have 
been  worth  twenty  pistoles  in  France,  for  an  axe. 

The  day  was  spent  in  driving  our  small  bargains,  and  gathering 
provisions,  which  the  women  brought.  When  that  was  clone,  it  was 
agreed  that  I  should  remain  there  to  lay  up  more  store,  and  that  the 
others  should  return  to  our  company,  which  we  had  left  near  the 
river,  to  carry  the  provisions,  and  satisfy  them  they  might  come 
safely. 

Though  I  thought  myself  not  over  secure  among  the  Indians,  and, 
besides,  had  the  dissatisfaction  of  understanding  none  of  their  lan- 
guage, yet  was  I  not  unwilling  to  stay,  that  I  might  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  the  two  other  Frenchmen,  who  had  forsaken  the  late 
M.  de  la  Salle,  when  he  first  travelled  into  that  country,  that  I  might 
inquire  of  them,  whether  they  had  heard  no  talk  of  the  Mississippi 
river,  for  I  still  held  my  resolution  of  parting  from  our  wicked  mur- 
derers. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone,  I  gave  a  young  Indian  a  knife;  to  go 
bid  those  two  other  Frenchmen  come  to  me,  and  whilst  he  was  going 
I  drove  on  my  little  trade  for  provisions,  and  had  frequent  visits  from 
the  elders,  who  entertained  me  by  signs,  with  an  account  of  their 
intended  war;  to  which  I  still  answered,  nodding  my  head,  though 
very  often  T  knew  not  what  they  meant.  It  was  some  difficulty  to 
me  to  secure  my  small  merchandize,  especially  at  night,  for  the 
natives  were  covetous  of  them. 

This  care,  which  kept  me  from  sleeping  sound,  was  the  occasion, 
that  one  night  I  heard  somebody  moving  near  iny  bed,  and  opening 
my  eyes,  by  the  light  of  the  fire,  which  never  goes  out  in  those  cot- 
tages, perceived  a  man  stark  naked,  with  a  bow  and  two  arrows  in 
his  hand,  who  came  and  sat  down  by  me,  without  saying  anything. 
I  viewed  him  for  some  time ;  I  spoke  to  him  •  he  made  me  no  an- 


154  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

swer ;  and  not  knowing  what  to  think  of  it,  I  laid  hold  of  my  two 
pistols  and  my  firelock,  which  the  man  perceiving,  he  went  and  sat 
by  the  fire.  I  followed,  and  looking  steadfastly  on  him,  he  knew 
and  spoke  to  me,  throwing  his  arms  about  and  embracing  me,  and 
then  made  himself  known  to  be  one  of  the  Frenchmen  I  had  sent 
for. 

We  fell  into  discourse  ;  I  asked  him  for  his  comrade,  he  told  me  he 
durst  not  come,  for  fear  of  M.  de  la  Salle.  They  were  both  sailors  ; 
this  man,  who  was  of  Britany,  was  called  Buter ;  the  other,  of 
Rochelle,  Grollct.  They  had,  in  that  short  space  of  time,  so  per- 
fectly inured  themselves  to  the  customs  of  the  natives,  that  they 
had  become  mere  savages.  They  were  naked,  their  faces  and 
bodies  with  figures  wrought  on  them,  like  the  rest.  They  had  taken 
several  wives,  been  at  the  wars,  and  killed  their  enemies  with  their 
firelocks,  which  had  gained  them  reputation  ;  but  having  no  more 
powder  nor  ball,  their  arms  had  grown  useless,  and  they  had  been 
forced  to  learn  to  shoot  with  bows  and  arrows.  As  for  religion,  they 
were  not  troubled  with  much  of  it,  and  that  libertine  life  they  led, 
was  pleasing  to  them. 

I  acquainted  this  man  with  the  unfortunate  death  of  M.  de  la 
Salle,  his  nephew,  and  the  rest,  at  which  he  was  surprised  and  con- 
cerned, at  least  in  outward  appearance.  I  asked  him  whether  he 
had  heard  talk  of  the  Mississippi ;  he  told  me  he  had  not,  but  only  that 
there  was  a  great  river  forty  leagues  from  thence  towards  the  X.  W., 
where  the  natives  said  there  were  many  nations  along  its  banks. 
That  made  me  believe  it  was  the  very  river  we  were  in  search  of. 
or  at  least  that  it  must  be  the  way  to  come  at  it.  I  gave  him  to  cat, 
and  we  went  to  rest. 

The  next  and  the  following  days  I  continued  trading,  and  the 
elders  their  visits,  and  their  discourse,  by  signs,  concerning  their 
intended  war.  Some  of  them  gave  me  to  understand  that  they  had 
been  among  the  Spaniards,  who  are,  nevertheless,  about  two  hundred 
leagues  from  them.  They  spoke  some  words  of  broken  Spanish,  as 
capita,  instead  oi  capitan,  a  captain,  and  cohavillo  instead  of  cavallo. 
a  horse,  and  so  of  some  others.  Buter,  the  Frenchman,  returned  to 
his  duelling;  I  gave  him  some  strings  of  beads  for  his  wives,  and 
desired  him  to  send  the  other  Frenchman  to  me. 

In  the  mean  time  my  being  alone,  as  to  any  person  I  could  con- 
verse with,  grew  very  irksome  to  me,  and  1  know  not  whether  an 
old  man  did  not  pcrc.-'-ive  it  ;  for  he  thought  it  would  bo  proper  tu 
brh:'_  a  companion  to  divert  me,  and  at  night  I  was  surprised  to  ser: 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  155 

a  young  maid  come  sit  down  by  me,  and  to  hear  the  old  man  tell 
me  he  had  brought  her  to  be  my  wife,  and  gave  her  to  me  ;  but  I 
had  far  different  thoughts  to  disturb  me.  I  spoke  not  one  word  to 
that  poor  maid  ;  she  stayed  some  time,  expecting  I  would  take  notice 
of  her,  and  perceiving  I  did  not  stir,  or  speak  one  word,  she  with- 
drew. 

Thus  I  continued  without  hearing  any  news  till  the  6th  of  April, 
when  the  two  Frenchmen  I  have  spoken  of,  came  both,  in  the  Indian 
dress,  eacli  of  them  having  only  a  coat  about  him,  some  turkey  fea- 
thers on  their  shoulders,  their  heads  and  feet  bare.  The  latter  of 
them,  whose  name  was  Grollet,  had  not  consented  to  have  his  face 
marked  like  the  other,  nor  to  cut  his  hair  after  the  Indian  manner  ; 
for  those  people  cut  off  all  theirs,  except  a  small  lock  on  the  crown 
of  the  head  like  the  Turks,  only  some  of  them  have  small  tresses  on 
the  temples. 

I  repeated  to  them  the  narrative  of  M.  de  la  Salle's  unfortunate 
story.  They  confirmed  what  I  had  been  told  before,  that  the 
natives  had  talked  to  them  of  the  great  river,  which  was  forty 
leagues  off,  towards  the  N.E.,  and  that  there  were  people  like  us 
that  dwelt  on  the  banks  of  it.  This  confirmed  me  in  the  opinion  that 
it  was  the  river  so  much  sought  after,  and  that  we  must  go  that  way  to 
return  to  Canada  or  towards  New  England.  They  told  me,  they 
would  willingly  go  with  us.  T  desired  them  to  keep  it  secret,  which 
they  did  not,  for,  being  informed  that  M.  Cavelier  and  the  others 
were  coming,  they  went  to  meet  them,  and  I  was  again  left  alone. 

The  8th,  three  men  came  to  me,  one  of  whom  was  the  Frenchman 
of  Provence,  with  each  of  them  a  horse,  sent  by  our  people  to  carry 
away  all  the  provisions  I  had  got  together,  having  taken  a  resolution, 
as  those  persons  they  had  sent  told  us.  to  return  to  the  dwelling  of 
St.  Louis,  about  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  from  whence  we  came ; 
designing,  as  they  pretended,  to  build  a  boat  there  to  carry  them  over 
to  the  islands  of  America  :  an  impracticable  notion,  for  all  our  car- 
penters were  dead,  and  though  they  had  been  alive,  they  were  so 
ignorant  that  none  of  them  would  have  known  which  way  to  go  about 
that  work;  besides  that,  we  were  destitute  of  all  necessaries  for  that 
eiluct.  However,  we  must  obey,  and  set  out  with  our  provisions. 
The  rain  having  detained  us  the  9th  on  the  way,  we  could  not  come 
up  to  them  till  the  next  day,  being  the  10th. 

Father  Anastasius  gave  me  the  confirmation  of  that  design,  and 
farther  told  me  how  roughly  they  had  been  treated  by  those  mur- 
derers since  my  departure.  I  know  not  what  it  was  that  moved 


15G  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OP    LOUISIANA. 

them  to  it,  but  they  had  resolved  to  separate  themselves  from  those 
villains,  and  that  we  should  eat  apart,  viz.,  M.  Cavelier,  the  priest, 
F.  Anastasius,  young  Cavelier  and  I,  which  was  very  agreeable  to 
us,  because,  at  least,  we  could  talk  freely,  which  we  dare  not  do 
before  ;  but,  at  the  same,  time,  they  allowed  us  no  more  provisions 
than  would  suffice  to  keep  us  from  starving,  without  giving  us  share 
of  any  flesh,  though  they  often  killed. 

Our  tyrants  still  holding  their  resolution  to  return  to  our  former 
habitation,  thought  they  had  not  horses  enough,  and  therefore  deputed 
four  of  their  number,  one  of  whom  was  the  Frenchman,  half-turned 
Indian,  to  return  to  the  village  of  the  Cenis  and  endeavor  to  barter  for 
some.  At  the  same  time  we  agreed  together  to  let  those  gentlemen 
know,  that  we  were  too  much  fatigued  to  return  with  them  to  the 
said  habitation,  and  were  resolved  to  remain  in  the  village  of  the 
Cenis.  M.  Cavelier  undertook  to  be  our  speaker,  and  to  desire 
Duhaut,  who  was  master  of  all,  to  give  us  some  axes,  knives,  and 
strings  of  beads,  powder  and  shot,  offering  to  give  him  a  note  of  his 
hand  for  the  same. 

To  conclude,  M.  Cavelier  made  the  proposal  to  Duhaut,  disguised 
it  the  best  he  was  able,  and  Duhaut  took  till  next  day  to  return 
his  answer.  He  consulted  with  his  companions,  and  acquainted  us 
that  they  would  deal  handsomely  by  us,  and  give  us  half  the  effects, 
and  all  the  axes,  intending  to  make  the  most  speed  they  could,  to 
get  to  our  former  dwelling,  and  to  put  into  execution  what  they  had 
before  designed,  as  to  the  building  of  a  bark.  ]>ut  in  case  they 
could  not  succeed,  for  want  of  necessaries,  they  would  immediately 
return  to  us,  and  bring  F.  Zcnobius  along  with  them,  who  would  be 
serviceable  to  us.  because,  having  been  with  M.  de  la  Salle  upon  bis 
first  discovery,  he  understood  the  language:  of  the  nations  about  the 
Mississippi  river.  That  whilst  they  were  upon  that  journey,  we 
should  take  care  to  gather  a  stock  of  provisions,  and  that  if  they 
succeeded  in  building  the  bark,  they  would  send  us  word,  that  we 
might  repair  to  them.  M.  Cavelier  approved  of  all  they  said,  though 
we  had  other  designs.  However,  it  proved  we  were  all  mistaken, 
for  Providence  had  ordered  affairs  otherwise. 

\Ve  stayed  there  some  time,  expecting  those  who  were  gone  to  the 
Cenis,  they  slaying  longer  than  was  requisite  for  that  journey.  The 
overflowing  of  the  river  was  their  pretence,  but  the  true  reason  was 
the  women,  who,  ns  I  have  said,  are  not  so  forward  as  to  oiler  them- 
selves, bet  on  the  other  hand,  will  not  be  over  difficult  in  complying 
)'ir  -Mine  little  present,  and  those  who  wen;  sent  did  not,  grudge  th-ir 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  157 

time.  In  the  meanwhile  the  posture  of  our  affairs  changed  as 
follows  : 

One  of  our  savage  Frenchmen,  whom  I  had  acquainted  with  our 
design,  communicated  it  to  Hautot,  telling  him  all  the  particulars  he 
had  before  acquainted  me  with  ;  whereupon  Duhaut  changed  his 
mind  as  to  the  design  of  going  to  the  habitation  of  St.  Louis,  resolv- 
ing to  follow  our  intended  way  and  execute  our  project.  He  imparted 
his  thoughts  to  his  companions,  who  were  of  the  same  opinion,  and 
all  of  them  acquainted  us  that  they  were  ready  to  put  into  execution 
the  enterprise  we  had  formed. 

This  change  troubled  us  very  much,  there  being  nothing  we 
coveted  more  than  to  part  with  those  miscreants,  from  whom  we  could 
at  a  long  run  expect  no  better  usage  than  they  had  afforded  our  com- 
mander and  his  friends.  However,  it  was  still  requisite  to  dissemble, 
there  being  no  other  remedy  at  that  time  :  but  God's  justice  provided 
for  and  rescued  us.  We  continued  in  that  camp  all  the  remaining 
part  of  April,  expecting  the  persons  that  had  been  sent  to  the  Cenis, 
and  Duhaut  intending  to  begin  to  put  in  execution  his  design  of 
going  to  find  out  the  Mississippi  with  us,  made  us  advance  towards 
the  river  that  was  near,  in  order  to  pass  it  as  soon  as  fallen,  and 
repair  to  the  village  of  the  Cenis. 

We  stayed  three  days  longer  in  that  post,  at  the  end  whereof  he 
we  called  Larcheveque,  one  of  those  that  had  been  sent  out,  crossed 
the  river.  He  was  Duhaut's  creature,  and  an  accomplice  in  the 
murder  of  M.  de  la  Salle.  He  informed  Duhaut  that  one  they  called 
Hiens,  who  also  was  one  of  our  messengers,  and  had  stayed  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  had  heard  of  Duhaut  and  the  rest  altering 
their  resolution,  and  that  he  was  not  of  their  mind.  Hiens  was  a 
buccaneer,  and  by  birth  a  German.  M.  de  la  Salle  had  brought  him 
from  Petit  Gouave,  and  he  also  was  accessory  to  the  late  murders. 

After  we  had  been  some  days  longer  in  the  same  place,  Hiens  ar- 
rived with  the  two  half-savage  Frenchmen  and  about  twenty  natives. 
He  went  immediately  to  Duhaut,  and  after  some  discourse,  told  him 
he  was  not  for  going  towards  the  Mississippi,  because  it  would  be  of 
dangerous  consequence  for  them,  and  therefore  demanded  his  share 
of  the  effects  he  had  seized  upon.  Duhaut  refusing  to  comply,  and 
affirming  that  all  the  axes  were  his  own,  Hiens,  who  it  is  likely  had 
laid  the  design  before  to  kill  him,  immediately  drew  his  pistol,  and 
fired  it  upon  Duhaut,  who  staggered  about  four  paces  from  the  place, 
and  fell  down  dead.  At  the  same  time,  Ruter,  who  had  been  with 


158  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

Hiens,  fired  his  piece  upon  Liotot,  the  surgeon,  and  shot  him  through 
with  three  balls. 

These  murders  committed  before  us,  put  me  into  a  terrible  conster- 
nation ;  for  believing  the  same  was  designed  for  me,  I  laid  hold  of 
my  firelock  to  defend  myself;  but  Miens  cried  out  to  me,  to  fear  no- 
thing, to  lay  down  my  arms,  and  assured  me  he  had  no  design  against 
me  ;  but  that  he  had  revenged  his  master's  death.  He  also  satisfied 
M.  Cavelier  and  Father  Anastasius,  who  were  as  much  frighted  as 
myself,  declaring  he  meant  them  no  harm,  and  that  though  he  had 
been  in  the  conspiracy,  yet  had  he  been  present  at  the  time  when  M. 
do  la  Salle  was  killed,  he  would  not  have  consented,  but  rather  have 
obstructed  it. 

Liotot  lived  some  hours  after,  and  had  the  good  fortune  to  make  his 
confession  ;  after  which,  the  same  llutcr  put  him  out  of  his  pain 
witli  a  pistol  shot.  We  dug  a  hole  in  the  earth,  and  buried  him  in  it 
with  Duhaut,  doing  them  more  honor  than  they  had  done  to  M.  de  la 
Salle  and  his  nephew  Morangct,  whom  they  left  to  be  devoured  by 
wild  beasts.  Thus  those  murderers  met  with  what  they  had  deserved, 
dying  the  same  death  they  had  put  others  to. 

The  natives  Iliens  had  brought  with  him,  having  been  spectators 
of  that  murder,  were  in  a  consternation,  and  that  affair  was  of  dan- 
gerous consequence  to  us,  who  stood  in  need  of  them.  It  was  there- 
fore requisite  to  make  the  best  of  it,  giving  them  to  understand  that 
there  had  been  reason  for  punishing  those  dead  persons,  because  they 
had  all  the  powder  and  ball,  and  would  not  give  any  to  the  rest. 
They  remained  satisfied  with  that  excuse,  and  he  who  was  called 
Larchcveque,  and  who  was  entirely  devoted  to  Duhaut,  being  abroad 
a  hunting  since  the  morning,  and  not  knowing  what  misfortune  had 
happened  to  his  protector,  and  Iliens  being  resolved  to  make  away  with 
him,  Father  Anastasius  and  M.  Cavelier  took  so  much  pains,  that 
they  dissuaded  him  from  it,  and  I  went  out  and  met  Larcheveque,  to 
give  him  notice  of  that  disaster,  and  to  inform  him  how  he  was  to 
behave  himself.  Thus  I  requited  him  for  having  come  to  give  me 
notice  of  M.  de  la  Salle's  death.  I  brought  him  to  Iliens,  who  de- 
clared he  designed  him  no  harm,  and  Larcheveque  gave  him  the 
same  assurances  on  his  part.  Thus  all  things  are  again  composed, 
and  nothing  remained,  but  for  us  to  set  out,  but  first  to  know  what  we 
were  to  do,  and  which  way  to  direct  our  course. 

I  Icreupon,  IJiens  took  upon  him  to  speak,  and  said  he  had  promised 
The  natives  to  go  to  the  war  with  them,  and  designed  to  be  as  good  as 
his  word  ;  that  if  wu  would  expect  his  return,  we  might  by  that  tim-j 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  159 

consider  which  way  he  would  move,  and  that  in  the  meantime  we 
might  stay  in  the  village  among  the  Cenis.  This  was  resolved  on  ; 
we  loaded  all  our  effects  on  our  horses,  and  repaired  to  the  same  place 
and  the  same  cottage  where  we  had  hcen  before,  the  chief  of  it  as- 
signing us  the  one-half  to  lodge  and  lay  up  our  baggage. 

When  the  day  for  setting  out  for  the  war  was  come,  Hiens  depart- 
ed with  the  natives,  four  of  our  comrades,  and  the  two  half-savage 
Frenchmen  going  along  with  him  ;  so  that  there  were  six  of  them, 
and  each  took  a  horse.  Hiens  left  us  all  the  effects,  and  desired  we 
would  stay  for  him,  which  we  promised,  not  knowing  how  to  avoid 
it,  considering  that  the  Indians  might  have  done  us  harm,  and  even 
have  obstructed  our  departure.  Thus  we  resigned  ourselves  to  Pro- 
vidence, and  remained,  six  of  us,  together,  viz.,  Father  Anastasius, 
M.  Cavelier,  his  nephew,  young  Cavelier,  young  Talon,  another 
youth  of  Paris,  and  I.  There  also  remained  some  old  men,  who 
could  not  go  to  the  war,  and  the  women.  We  were  also  joined  by 
two  other  Frenchmen,  who  had  been  left  on  the  other  side  the  river, 
being  the  Provencal  and  one  Teissier. 

During  our  stay,  and  our  warriors  being  abroad  upon  that  expedi- 
tion, the  old  men  often  visited  us,  and  told  us  news  from  the  army 
by  signs,  which  we  understood  nothing  of.  We  were  from  time  to 
time  alarmed,  seeing  the  women  weep,  without  any  visible  cause. 
The  late  M.  de  la  Salle  had  often  told  us  that  the  women  bewailed 
those  that  were  to  be  killed ;  but  we  were  informed  they  did  so  when 
they  called  to  mind  some  who  had  been  slain  in  the  former  wars  ; 
which  dispelled  our  apprehensions.  However,  we  were  uneasy,  be- 
cause those  old  men  and  women  examined  us  every  morning  and 
evening  when  we  performed  our  devotions. 

We  laid  hold  of  that  opportunity  to  give  them  to  understand  that 
we  paid  our  duty  to  one  God,  the  only  supreme  sovereign  of  all 
things,  pointing  to  heaven,  and  endeavoring  in  the  best  manner  we 
were  able,  to  signify  to  them  that  he  was  almighty,  that  he  had  made 
all  things,  that  he  caused  the  earth  to  produce  its  fruits  to  prosper, 
and  the  growth  of  it,  which  maintained  them  to  thrive ;  but  this 
being  only  by  signs,  they  did  not  understand  us,  and  we  labored  in 
vain. 

The  18th,  we  were  surprised  to  see  several  women  come  into  our 
cottage,  their  faces  all  besmeared  with  earth,  and  they  set  up  their 
throats,  singing  several  songs  as  loud  as  they  were  able,  whereof  we 
understood  not  one  word.  That  done,  they  fell  a  dancing  in  a  ring, 
and  we  could  not  tell  what  to  think  of  that  rejoicing,  which  lasted 


160  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

full  three  hours;  after  which,  we  were  informed  they  had  received 
advice  of  the  victory  obtained  by  their  warriors  over  their  enemies. 
The  dance  concluded,  those  in  the  cottage  gave  some  bits  of  tobacco 
to  those  without. 

The  same  day,  about  noon,  we  saw  him  that  had  brought  the 
news,  who  affirmed  they  had  killed  at  least  forty  of  their  enemies. 
After  the  rejoicing,  all  the  women  applied  themselves  to  make  ready 
their  provisions,  some  to  pound  Indian  corn,  others  to  boil  meal, 
which  they  call  grouller,  and  others  to  bake  bread,  to  carry  to  the 
warriors.  They  all  set  out  on  the  19th  to  meet  them,  and  we  thought 
it  in  policy  convenient  to  send  meat  to  our  men,  which  was  done  by 
the  Frenchman  of  Provence,  who  went  with  the  women. 

The  same  day,  at  night,  the  victorious  army  returned,  and  we 
were  informed  that  their  enemies,  whom  they  call  Cannohatinno,  had 
expected  them  boldly,  but  that  having  heard  the  noise,  and  felt  the 
effects  of  our  men's  firearms,  they  all  fled,  so  that  the  Cenis  had 
either  killed  or  taken  forty-eight  men  and  women.  Thev  had  slain 

^  O  •/ 

several  of  the  latter,  who  fled  to  the  tops  of  trees,  for  want  of  time  to 
make  their  escape  otherwise  ;  so  that  many  more  women  had  perished 
than  men. 

They  brought  home  two  of  those  women  alive,  one  of  whom  had 
her  head  Hayed  for  the  sake  of  her  hair  and  skin.  They  gave  that 
wretched  creature  a  charge  of  powder  and  a  ball,  and  sent  her  home, 
bidding  her  carry  that  present  to  her  nation,  and  to  assure  them, 
they  should  be  again  treated  after  the  same  manner,  that  is,  killed 
with  firearms. 

The  other  woman  was  kept  to  fall  a  sacrifice  to  the  rage  and 
vengeance  of  the  women  and  maids:  who.  having  armed  themselves 

O  '  J  C1 

with  thick  stakes,  sharp  pointed  at  the  end,  conducted  that  wretch  to 
a  by-place,  where  each  of  those  furies  began  to  torment  her,  some- 
times with  the  point  of  their  stall',  and  sometimes  laying  on  her  with 
all  their  might.  One  tore  oil'  her  hair,  another  cut  oil'  her  finger, 
and  every  one  of  those  outrageous  women  endeavored  to  put  her  to 
some  exquisite  torture,  to  revenge  the  death  of  their  husbands  and 
kinsmen,  who  hud  been  killed  in  the  former  wars  ;  so  that  the  unfor- 
tunate creature  expected  her  death  stroke  as  mercy. 

At  last,  one  of  them  gave  her  a  stroke  with  a  heavy  club  on  the 
head,  and  another  ran  her  stake  several  times  into  her  body,  with 
which  she  fell  down  dead  on  the  spot.  Then  they  cut  that  misera- 
ble victim  into  morsels,  and  obliged  some  slaves  of  that  nation  they 
had  been  long  possessed  of,  to  eat  them. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  161 

Thus  our  warriors  returned  triumphant  from  that  expedition. 
They  spared  none  of  the  prisoners  they  had  taken,  except  two  little 
boys,  and  brought  home  all  the  skins  of  their  heads,  with  the  hair,  to 
be  kept  as  trophies  and  glorious  memorials  of  their  victory. 

The  next  day  all  those  savages  met  in  their  chief's  cottage,  whi- 
ther all  the  above-mentioned  heads  of  hair  were  carried  in  state. 
Then  they  made  extraordinary  rejoicings  in  that  cottage,  whence 
they  went  to  the  huts  of  the  other  prime  men,  to  perform  the  same 
ceremony.  This  rejoicing  lasted  three  days,  our  French  compani- 
ons, who  had  been  the  cause  of  their  victory,  being  called  to  it,  and 
highly  entertained,  after  their  manner.  It  will  not  be  disagreeable 
to  the  reader,  that  I  here  particularly  describe  that  ceremony,  which, 
after  being  performed  in  the  cottages  of  the  chief  men,  was  repeated 
in  ours. 

In  the  first  place,  the  cottage  was  made  very  clean,  adorned,  and 
abundance  of  mats  laid  on  the  floor,  on  which  the  elders  and  the  most 
considerable  persons  sat ;  after  which,  one  of  them,  who  is  in  the 
nature  of  an  orator,  or  master  of  the  ceremonies,  stood  up  and  made 
a  speech,  of  which  we  understood  not  a  word.  Soon  after  that  dis- 
course was  ended,  the  warriors  arrived,  who  had  slain  any  in  battle, 
marching  in  their  proper  order,  each  of  them  carrying  a  bow  and 
two  arrow's,  and  before  every  one  of  them  went  his  wife,  carrying 

•*  *          G 

the  enemy's  head  of  hair.  Two  little  boys,  whose  lives  they  had 
spared,  as  has  been  said  before,  one  of  them  who  was  wounded,  be- 
ing on  horseback,  closed  the  procession  ;  at  the  head  whereof  was  a 
woman,  carrying  a  large  reed  or  cane  in  her  hand. 

As  they  came  up  to  the  orator,  the  warrior  took  the  head  of  hair 
his  wife  had  brought,  and  presented  it  to  him,  which  the  said  orator 
received  with  both  his  hands,  and  after  having  held  it  out  towards 
the  four  quarters  of  the  world,  he  laid  it  down  on  the  ground,  and 
then  took  the  next,  performing  the  same  ceremony,  till  he  had  gone 
over  them  all. 

When  the  ceremony  was  ended,  they  served  up  the  sagamite,  in 
the  nature  of  hasty  pudding,  which  those  women  had  provided,  and 
before  any  one  touched  it.  the  master  of  the  ceremonies  took  some  in 
a  vessel,  which  he  carried  as  an  offering  to  those  heads  of  hair. 
Then  he  lighted  a  pipe  of  tobacco,  and  blew  the  smoke  upon  them. 
That  being  performed,  they  all  fell  to  the  meat.  Bits  of  the  woman 
that  had  been  sacrificed  were  served  up  to  the  two  boys  of  her  na- 
tion. They  also  served  up  dried  tongues  of  their  enemies,  and  the 
whole  concluded  with  dancing  and  singing  after  their  manner.  Af- 

12 


1G2  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

tcr  which,    they   went  to   other  cottages  to   repeat  the  same   cere- 
mony. 

There  was  no  talk  of  our  design  till  those  rejoicings  were  over, 
and  I  began  to  conceive  good  hopes  of  our  success.  The  two  mur- 
derers, Teissier  and  Larcheveque,  who  had  both  a  hand  in  the  death 
of  M.  de  la  Salle,  had  promised  to  go  along  with  us,  provided  M. 
Cavelier  would  pardon  them,  and  lie  had  given  them  his  word  so  to 
do.  In  this  expectation  we  continued  till  the '25th,  when  our  French- 
men who  had  been  at  the  war,  repaired  to  our  cottage,  and  we  con- 
sulted about  our  business. 

Hicns  and  others  of  his  gang,  disapproving  of  our  design,  repre- 
sented to  us  such  difficulties  as  they  looked  upon  to  be  insurmount- 
able, under  which  we  must  inevitably  perish,  or  at  least  be  obliged 
to  return  to  the  same  place.  Iliens  told  us.  that  for  his  own  part, 
he  would  not  hazard  his  life  to  return  into  France,  only  to  have  his 
head  chopped  off",  and  perceiving  we  answered  nothing  to  that,  but 
that  we  persisted  in  our  resolution;  it  is  requisite  then,  said  he,  to 
divide  what  effects  remain. 

Accordingly  he  laid  aside  for  F.  Anastasius,  MM.  Cavelier,  the 
uncle  and  the  nephew,  thirty  axes,  four  or  five  dozens  of  knives, 
about  thirty  pounds  of  powder,  and  the  like  quantity  of  ball.  lie 
gave  each  of  the  others  two  axes,  two  knives,  two  or  three  pounds  of 
powder,  with  as  much  ball,  and  kept  the  rest.  As  for  the  horses,  he 
kept  the  best,  and  left  us  the  three  least.  M.  Cavelier  asked  him  for 
some  strings  of  beads,  which  he  granted,  and  seix.ed  upon  all  the  late 
M.  de  la  Salle's  clothes,  baggage  and  other  effects,  besides  above  a 
thousand  livrcs  in  money,  which  belonged  to  the  late  M.  le  Gros. 
who  died  at  our  dwelling  of  St.  Louis.  He  fore  our  departure  it  was 
'a.  sensible  affliction  to  us  to  see  that  villain  walk  about  in  a  scarlet 
coat,  with  gold  galons.  which  had  belonged  to  the  late  M.  de  la  Salle, 
and  which,  as  I  have  said,  lie  had  seix.ed. 

After  that,  Iliens  and  his  companions  withdrew  to  their  own  cot- 
tage, and  we  resolved  not  to  put  oil'  our  departure  any  longer.  Ac- 
cordingly we  made  ready  our  horses,  which  much  alarmed  the  natives, 
and  especially  the  chief  of  them,  who  said  and  did  all  ho  could  to 
obstruct  our  journey,  promising  us  wives,  plenty  of  provisions  ;  repre- 
senting to  us  the  immense  dangers,  as  well  from  enemies  who  sur- 
rounded them,  as  from  the  bad  and  impassable  ways  and  the  many 
woods  and  rivers  we  were  to  pass.  However,  we  were  not  to  be 
moved,  and  only  asked  one  kindness  of  him,  in  obtaining  of  which 
ihere  were  many  difficulties,  and  it  was.  that  he  would  give  us  guides 


JOUTEL,  S    HISTORICAL    JOURNAL. 

to  conduct  us  to  Cappa ;  but  at  length,  after  much  trouble  and  many 
promises  of  a  good  reward,  one  was  granted,  and  two  others  went 
along  with  him. 

All  things  being  thus  ordered  for  our  departure,  we  took  leave  of 
our  hosts,  passed  by  Hiens's  cottage,  and  embraced  him  and  his  com- 
panions. We  asked  him  for  another  horse,  which  he  granted.  He 
desired  an  attestation  in  Latin  of  M.  Cavelier,  that  he  had  not  been 
concerned  in  the  murder  of  M.  de  la  Salle,  which  was  given  him, 
because  there  was  no  refusing  of  it ;  and  we  set  forward  without 
Larcheveque  and  Meunier,  who  did  not  keep  their  word  with  us,  but 
remained  among  those  barbarians,  being  infatuated  with  that  course 
of  libertinism  they  had  run  themselves  into.  Thus  there  were  only 
seven  of  us  that  stuck  together  to  return  to  Canada,  viz. :  Father 
Anastasius,  MM.  Cavelier,  the  uncle  and  the  nephew,  the  Sieur  de 
Marie,  one  Teissier,  a  young  man  born  at  Paris,  whose  namew  as  Bar- 
tholomew, and  I,  with  six  horses  and  the  three  Indians,  who  were  to 
be  our  guides ;  a  very  small  number  for  so  great  an  enterprise,  but 
we  put  ourselves  entirely  into  the  hands  of  divine  Providence,  confid- 
ing in  God's  mercy,  which  did  not  forsake  us. 

After  the  first  day's  journey  we  encamped  on  the  bank  of  the  river 
we  had  left  not  long  before  ;  lay  there  that  night,  and  the  next  day 
cut  down  trees  to  make  a  sort  of  bridge  of  planks  to  pass  over  it ; 
handing  over  our  goods  from  one  to  another,  and  swimming  over  our 
horses;  which  work  we  were  frequently  obliged  to  repeat,  and  as 
often  as  we  had  afterwards  occasion  to  pass  rivers  on  our  way,  which 
we  held  on  till  the  29th,  every  day  meeting  with  some  cottage,  and 
at  last,  a  hamlet  or  village,  into  which  we  went,  and  the  Indian  in- 
habitants told  us  they  were  called  Nahordikhe,  and  that  they  were 
allies  to  the  Cenis. 

We  bartered  with  them  for  some  provisions,  and  their  chief  offered 
to  go  with  us  as  far  as  the  Assonys,  who  were  not  farther  off  than 
about  three  leagues,  which  he  accordingly  did ;  but  it  happening  to 
rain  when  we  came  thither,  and  the  Assonys  having  had  no  notice 
beforehand,  we  found  but  indifferent  reception. 

However,  we  were  conducted  to  the  chief's  cottage  ;  the  elders  had 
notice  given  them,  they  resorted  thither,  and  when  our  horses  W7ere 
unloaded,  and  our  goods  placed  in  a  corner  of  the  cottage,  which  the 
chief  had  allotted  us,  we  gave  them  to  understand,  that  our  intention 
w-as  to  go  further,  to  fetch  commodities  to  trade  with  them,  at  which 
they  were  pleased.  They  gave  us  to  eat,  and  the  elders  stayed  some 
part  of  the  evening  with  us,  which  made  us  somewhat  uneasy,  and 


164  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

obliged  us  to  be  upon  our  guard ;  however,  the  night  passed  without 
any  disturbance. 

The  next  morning  the  elders  came  to  us  again.  They  had  pro- 
vided mats  without  the  cottage,  and  made  signs  to  us  to  go  thither 
and  sit  down  upon  them,  as  we  did,  leaving  two  of  our  company  to 
guard  the  baggage.  We  repeated  to  them  what  we  had  said  the 
night  before,  and  made  them  some  presents  of  axes,  knives,  strings  of 
beads  and  rings.  They  signified  they  were  sorry  we  would  go  away, 
and  endeavored  the  best  they  could  to  make  us  sensible  of  the  same 
obstacles  the  others  had  signified  to  us ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain  ;  how- 
ever, we  stayed  till  the  first  of  June,  all  the  while  bartering  and 
gathering  the  best  stock  of  provisions  we  could. 

The  second,  we  removed  from  that  cottaire,  where  we  had  some 

/  O      ' 

jealousy,  and  went  to  another,  a  quarter  of  a  league  from  it,  where 
the  chief  of  it  gave  us  a  very  good  reception.  An  old  woman,  who 
was  either  his  mother  or  governess  of  the  cottage,  took  particular 
care  of  us.  We  were  first  served  at  eating,  and  to  keep  her  in  that 
good  mind,  we  now  and  then  made  her  some  little  presents,  whilst 
she,  by  her  care  and  kindness,  spared  our  provisions,  which  were  ne- 
cessary for  our  journey. 

A  continual  rain  obliged  us  to  stay  there  till  the  13th.  During  our 
stay  the  natives  made  several  feasts,  to  which  we  were  always  invited  ; 
and  at  length  the  rain  ceasing  we  resolved  to  set  out,  notwithstand- 
ing all  M.  Cavelier  and  the  priest's  apprehensions,  which  we  surmount- 
ed, and  directed  our  course  towards  the  N.  l\.  with  two  Indians,  who 
were  to  conduct  us  only  a  small  way,  and  who  accordingly  soon  left 
us,  whatsoever  promises  we  could  make  them.  They  departed  to 
return  home,  promising  they  would  come  to  us  again.  We  encamp- 
ed that  night  on  the  bank  of  a  rivulet. 

The  14th  and  15th,  we  held  on  our  way,  frequently  meeting  with 
sloughs,  which  very  much  fatigued  us,  because  we  were  obliged  to 
unload  our  horses  for  them  to  pass,  and  prevent  their  sticking  in  the 
mire  and  fat  soil,  whence  we  could  not  have  drawn  them  out,  and 
consequently  we  were  fain  to  carry  all  our  lui^a'a:  on  our  own 

i  •*  J  ~O      o 

backs. 

\\  hilst  we  halted  about  noon  thai  our  horses  might  gra/e,  as  was 
usually  done  by  us,  we  discovered  our  two  Assony  Indians  returning 
towards  us,  at  which  W'o  \vere  much  -rejoiced,  because  they  had  a 
bolter  notion  than  ourselves  of  the  way  we  were  to  go.  We  made 
them  eat  and  smoke,  and  then  set  out  a<rain. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  165 

The  16th,  we  came  to  a  great  river,  which  we  passed  as  we  had 
done  the  first,  and  after  that  met  with  very  bad  ways. 

The  17th,  one  of  our  company  being  indisposed,  we  could  not  set 
out  till  noon,  and  held  on  till  the  21st,  crossing  several  sloughs  and 
rivers,  and  then  one  of  our  Indians  being  out  of  order,  it  obliged  us 
to  stay  on  the  bank  of  a  river  we  had  passed.  The  other  Indian, 
seeing  his  comrade  sick,  went  a  hunting,  and  brought  a  wild  goat; 
for  there  are  many  in  that  country.  The  Indians  have  the  art  of 
dressing  the  heads  of  those  creatures,  which  they  put  upon  their  own, 
and  imitate  them  so  exactly,  that  they  can  corne  very  near  to  them, 
and  then  seldom  fail  of  killing.  The  same  method  they  use  for 
turkeys  and  other  wild  fowl,  and  so  draw  them  close  to  themselves. 

The  22d,  our  Indian  being  somewhat  recovered,  we  decamped,  and 
proceeded  along  a  better  way  and  pleasanter  country  than  that  we  had 
left  behind,  and  as  we  inquired  the  best  we  could  of  those  our  In- 
dians concerning  the  neighboring  nations  and  those  we  were  going 
towards,  among  others  they  named  to  us,  that  they  called  Cappa. 
M.  Cavelier  told  us  he  remembered  he  had  heard  his  late  brother, 
M.  de  la  Salle,  name  that  nation,  and  say  that  he  had  seen  it  as  he 
went  from  Canada  towards  the  Mississippi.  This  put  us  in  hopes 
that  we  should  succeed  in  our  discovery. 

The  23d,  being  near  a  village  we  had  been  in  search  of.  one  of 
our  Indians  went  before  to  give  notice  of  our  arrival.  In  the  mean- 
time we  crossed  most  lovely  plains  and  meadows,  bordered  with  fine 
groves  of  beautiful  trees,  where  the  grass  was  so  high  that  it  hin- 
dered our  horses  going,  and  we  were  obliged  to  clear  the  passage  for 
them. 

When  we  were  within  half  a  league  of  the  village,  we  saw  an 
Indian  mounted  on  a  large  grey  mare,  coming  along  with  our  native 
to  meet  us,  and  were  told  that  horseman  was  the  chief  of  the  vil- 
lage, attended  by  some  others  of  the  same  place.  As  soon  as  that 
chief  came  up  to  us  he  expressed  very  much  kindness  and  affection  ; 
we  gave  him  to  understand  that  we  did  nobody  any  harm,  unless  we 
were  first  attacked.  Then  we  made  him  smoke,  and  when  that  was 
done  he  made  signs  to  us  to  follow  him,  which  we  did  till  we  came 
to  the  bank  of  a  river,  where  he  again  desired  us  to  stay  whilst  he 
went  to  give  notice  to  the  elders. 

Soon  after  a  number  of  them  came,  and  having  joined  us.  signi- 
fied that  they  were  corne  to  carry  us  to  their  village.  Our  Indians 
made  signs  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  country,  and  we  must  sub- 
mit and  let  them  do  as  they  thought  fit.  Though  we  were  much  out 


ICG  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF     LOUISIANA. 

of  countenance  at  that  ceremony,  seven  of  the  prime  men  among 
them  would  have  us  mount  on  their  backs  or  shoulders.  M.  Cave- 
lier,  being  our  chief,  mounted  first,  and  then  the  rest  did  the  same. 

As  for  my  own  part,  being  of  a  pretty  large  size,  and  loaded  with 
clothes,  a  firelock,  a  case  of  pistols,  powder,  and  ball,  a  kettle,  and 
other  implements,  there  is  no  doubt  but  I  made  a  sufficient  burden 
for  him  that  carried  me,  and  because  I  was  taller  than  he  and  my 
feet  would  have  hung  upon  the  ground,  two  other  Indians  held  them 
up  for  me ;  so  that  I  had  three  to  carry  mo.  Other  Indians  took 
hold  of  our  horses  to  lead  them,  and  in  that  ridiculous  equipage  wo 
arrived  at  the  village.  Our  carriers,  who  had  gone  a  long  quarter 
of  a  league,  had  need  enough  to  rest,  and  we  to  be  set  down,  that  we 
might  laugh  in  private,  for  it  behoved  us  to  take  care  not  to  do  it 
before  them. 

As  soon  as  we  were  come  to  the  chief's  cottage,  where  wo  found 
above  two  hundred  persons  who  were  come  to  see  us,  and  that  our 
horses  were  unloaded,  the  elders  cave  us  to  understand  that,  it  was 

'  O 

their  custom  to  wash  strangers  at  their  first  corning;  but  that  we  be- 
ing clad,  they  would  only  wash  our  faces  ;  which  one  of  those  elders 
did  with  fair  water  they  had  in  a  sort  of  earthen  vessel,  and  he  only 
washed  our  forehead. 

After  this  second  ceremony,  the  chief  made  signs  to  us  to  sit  down 
on  a  sort  of  little  scaffold  raised  about  four  feet  above  the  ground,  ami 
made  of  wood  and  canes,  where,  when  we  were  placed,  the  chiefs 
of  the  villages,  being  four  in  number,  came  and  made  speeches  to  us 
i 'lie  after  another.  We  listened  to  them  with  patience,  though  we 
understood  not  one  word  of  what  thev  said  to  us;  being  tired  with, 
the  length  of  their  harangues,  and  much  more  with  tin;  violent  heat 
of  the  sun,  which  was  just  over  our  heads. 

\\  hen  the  speeches  were  ended,  the  purport  whereof,  as  near  as 
we  could  guess,  was  onlv  to  assure  us  that  we  were  verv  welcome. 
we  gave  them  to  understand  that  we  were  going  into  our  own  country, 
designing  to  return  speedily,  to  bring  them  several  sorts  of  commo- 
dities .Mid  Milch  things  us  they  should  stand  in  need  of. 

Next,  we  made  them  the  usual  presents  of  axes,  knives,  strings  of 
beads,  needles,  uiid  pins,  for  their  uives,  telling  them,  that  win  n  we 
returned  \\  e  would  gi\e  them  more. 

We  farther  signified  to  them  that  if  they  would  allord  us  some 
corn  or  meal  we  would  give  them  other  things  in  exchange,  which 
they  agreed  to.  After  this  they  made  us  eat  sagamitc,  or  hasiv- 
pudding,  bread,  beans,  pumpkins,  and  other  things,  which  v\  e  had 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  107 

sufficient  need  of,  most  of  us  having  scarce  eaten  anything  all  that 
day.  some  for  want,  and  others  out  of  devotion,  as  M.  Cavelier,  who 
would  observe  the  fast  of  St.  John  Baptist's  Eve,  whose  name  he 
bore.  It  is  to  he  observed  that  the  pumpkins  are  incomparably  bet- 
ter there  than  with  us. 

The  24th,  the  ciders  met  again  in  our  cottage.  We  gave  them 
to  understand  they  would  oblige  us  in  furnishing  guides  to  conduct 
us  to  the  village  of  Cappa,  which  was  in  our  way  ;  but  instead  of 
granting  it,  they  earnestly  entreated  us  to  stay  with  them,  and  go  to 
the  wars  against  their  enemies,  having  been  told  wonders  of  our  fire- 
locks, which  we  promised  to  do  when  we  returned,  and  that  it  should 
be  shortly,  and  they  seemed  to  rest  satisfied. 

Thus  our  hopes  increased,  but  the  joy  it  occasioned  was  allayed 
by  a  dismal  accident  that  befel  us.  M.  de  Marie,  one  of  the  prime 
men  of  our  company,  having  breakfasted,  would  needs  go  bathe  him- 
self in  the  river  we  had  passed  the  day  before,  and  not  knowing  how 
to  swim,  he  went  too  far  and  stepped  into  a  hole,  whence  he  could 
not  recover  himself,  but  was  unfortunately  drowned.  Young  M. 
Cavelier  having  been  told  that  M.  de  Marie  was  going  to  bathe  him- 
self, ran  after  him,  and  coming  to  the  river,  saw  he  was  drowning, 
he  ran  back  to  acquaint  us.  We  hasted  thither  with  a  number  of 
Indians,  who  were  there  before  us,  but  all  too  late  ;  some  of  them 
dived,  and  brought  him  up  dead  from  the  bottom  of  the  water. 

We  carried  him  to  the  cottage,  shedding  many  tears ;  the  Indians 
bore  part  in  our  sorrow,  and  we  paid  him  the  last  duties,  offering  up 
the  usual  prayers,  after  which  he  was  buried  in  a  small  field  behind 
the  cottage  ;  and,  whereas,  during  that  doleful  ceremony,  we 
prayed,  reading  in  our  books,  particularly  M.  Cavelier,  the  priest 
and  Father  Anastasius,  the  Indians  gazed  on  us  with  amazement, 
because  we  talked,  looking  upon  the  leaves,  and  we  endeavored  to 
give  them  to  understand  that  we  prayed  to  God  for  the  dead  man. 
pointing  up  to  heaven. 

We  must  do  this  right  to  those  good  people,  as  to  declare,  that 
they  expressed  singular  humanity  upon  that  doleful  accident,  as 
appeared  by  the  sensible  testimony  of  their  actions,  and  all  the 
methods  they  used  to  let  us  understand  how  great  a  share  they  bore 
in  our  sorrow  ;  which  we  should  not  have  found  in  several  parts  of 
E u  rope . 

During  our  short  slay  in  that  place,  we  observed  a  ceremony  that 
was  performed  by  the  chief's  wife,  viz.  :  that  every  morning  she 
went  to  M.  de  Marie's  grave,  and  carried  a  little  basket  of  parched 


1GS  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

ears  of  corn  to  lay  on  it,  the  meaning  whereof  we  could  not  under- 
stand. Before  our  departure,  we  were  informed  that  the  villages 
belonging  to  our  hosts,  being  four  in  number,  all  allied  together,  were 
called  Assony,  Nathosos,  Nachitos,  and  Cadodaquio. 

On  the  27th,  having  been  informed  by  the  natives  that  we  should 
find  canoes  to  pass  a  river  that  was  on  our  way,  Father  Anastasius 
and  I  went  to  see  whether  what  they  told  us  was  true.  We  found 
that  river  was  a  branch  of  the  same  we  had  already  passed,  the 
channel  of  it  being  pleasant  and  navigable,  and  saw  some  canoes,  in 
one  of  which  the  Indians  carried  us  over  to  the  other  side,  whither 
we  went  to  see  what  convenient  place  there  was  for  our  horses  to 
come  ashore.  We  found  a  very  proper  place,  and,  returning,  made 
our  report  to  M.  Cavelier,  who  being  then  much  out  of  order,  with 
pains  in  his  feet,  we  were  obliged  to  stay  there  till  the  30th. 

During  that  time  we  were  frequently  visited  by  the  Indians,  both 
old  and  young,  and  of  both  sexes,  and  even  the  chiefs  of  the  nation, 
called  Janiquo,  came  to  see  us,  and  with  them  we  often  conversed  in 
dumb  show  ;  and  every  evening  the  women,  attended  by  the  warriors, 
with  their  bows  and  arrows,  resorted  to  our  cottage  to  sing  a  doleful 
sort  of  song,  shedding  tears  at  the  same  time.  This  would  have 
given  us  some  uneasiness,  had  we  not  before  seen  the  same  cere- 
mony, and  been  informed  that  those  women  repair  in  that  manner 
to  the  chief's  cottage  to  entreat  him,  singing  and  weeping,  to  take 
revenge  on  those  who  have  killed  their  husbands  or  relations,  in 
former  wars,  as  I  have  observed  before.  In  all  other  respects,  the 
manners  and  customs  of  this  nation  being  much  the  same  as  those 
of  the  Cen is.  I  shall  add  no  more  concerning  them. 

The  x!!)ili,  at  night,  we  gave  notice  to  the  chief  that  we  would  set 
out  the  next  day  ;  we  made  him  some  presents  in  particular,  and  the 
like  to  his  wife,  because  she  had  taken  special  care  of  us,  and  de- 
parted on  the  30th.  The  chief,  attended  by  many  other  Indians 
whom  we  found  in  the  cottages  on  our  way,  went  to  conduct  us  as 
far  as  the  river,  which  we  crossed  in  canoes,  and  swam  over  our 
horses.  There  we  took  leave  of  our  conductors,  to  u  horn  we  gave 
some  strings  of  beads  for  their  wives,  and  their  chief  would  needs 
conduct  us  to  the  next  village. 

I»\  the  way  we  came  to  a  cottage,  where'  our  guide,  made  us  halt, 
and  there  they  gave  us  to  eat.  Then  we  held  on  our  journey  to  a 
village  called  Cadodaquio,  and  were  conducted  to  the  chief's  cottage, 
\\lio  received  us  courteously,  being  a  friend  to  him  that  went  with 
u-.  1'  was  requisite  to  unload  our  horses  to  lie  there,  and  we 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  1G9 

signified  to  the  chief  that  we  stood  in  need  of  provisions.  He  spoke 
to  the  women,  who  brought  us  some  meal,  which  we  purchased  with 
strings  of  beads,  and  the  chief,  who  conducted  us  thither,  took  his 
leave. 

Having  no  design  to  stay  there  any  time,  we  had  desired  the  chief 
to  appoint  some  person  to  guide  us  to  the  village  called  Cahainihoua, 
which  was  in  our  way.  It  happened  by  good  fortune  that  there 
were  then  in  that  place  some  men  and  women  of  the  said  village, 
who  were  come  to  fetch  some  wood  fit  to  make  bows,  there  being 
plenty  of  that  sort  of  trees  they  make  them  of,  about  the  village  we 
were  in.  We  signified  our  design  to  them,  and  they  gave  us  to  un- 
derstand they  would  be  glad  to  bear  us  company.  In  the  conversa- 
tion we  had  with  them,  they  made  us  comprehend  that  they  had  seen 
people  like  us,  who  had  firelocks  and  a  house,  and  that  they  were 
acquainted  with  the  Cappas,  which  was  very  pleasing  to  us.  Be- 
cause they  were  not  to  depart  till  two  days  after,  we  resolved  to  stay 
for  them. 

We  observed,  that  there  was  a  difference  between  the  language  of 
those  people  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  we  were  in  from  that 
of  theCenis,  and  that  they  had  some  peculiar  ceremonies,  one  whereof  is, 
that  when  the  women  have  their  terms,  they  leave  the  company  of 
their  husbands  and  withdraw  into  other  cottages  appointed  for  that 
purpose,  which  no  person  is  to  come  near,  upon  pain  of  being  reputed 
unclean. 

Those  women  have  their  faces  still  more  disfigured  than  the 
others  we  had  seen  before  ;  for  they  make  several  streaks  or  scores 
on  them,  whereas  the  others  had  but  one.  They  adorn  themselves 
with  little  locks  of  fine  red  hair,  which  they  make  fast  to  their  ears. 
in  the  nature  of  pendants.  In  other  respects  they  are  not  disagree- 
able, and  neither  women  nor  maids  are  so  ill-natured  as  to  make 
their  lovers  pine  for  them.  They  are  not  difficult  of  access,  and 
they  soon  make  a  return  for  a  small  present. 

The  men  wear  their  hair  short,  like  our  capucins  ;  they  anoint  it 
with  a  sort  of  oil  or  grease,  and  curl  it  like  snails,  after  which  they 
strew  on  it  a  sort  of  down  or  lint,  dyed  red,  as  we  do  powder,  which 
is  done  when  they  design  to  be  very  fine,  in  order  to  appear  in  their 
assemblies.  They  are  very  fond  of  their  children,  and  all  the  way 
of  chastising  them  they  use  is  to  throw  water  at  them,  without  ever 
beating  or  giving  them  ill  words. 

The  Indians  that  were  of  the  village  of  Cohainihoua  and  to  con- 
duct us  thither,  not  being  ready  to  set  out  on  Wednesday,  the  2d  of 


170  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

July,  as  they  had  promised,  a  young  Indian  offered  himself,  saying, 
he  would  conduct  us  safe  thither,  and  we  set  out  with  him,  still  di- 
recting our  course  towards  the  N.E.  We  kept  close  along  the  same 
river  we  had  crossed,  and  found  it  very  pleasant  and  navigable,  the 
banks  of  it  covered  with  fine  trees  of  several  sorts. 

We  had  not  travelled  above  a  league,  before  our  guide  gave  us  to 
understand,  that  he  had  forgotten  a  piece  of  hard  dried  skin  he  had  to 
make  him  shoes,  which  he  would  go  fetch  and  return  to  us,  pointing 
to  us  with  his  hand  which  way  we  were  to  go,  and  telling  us  we 
should  soon  come  to  a  river. 

This  sudden  change  in  the  Indian  was  somewhat  surprising,  and 
very  much  perplexed  us  ;  however,  we  held  on  our  way,  and  soon 
came  to  the  river  he  bad  mentioned  to  us,  which  was  very  pleasant 
and  deep.  Wre  crossed  it  the  next  day,  on  a  sort  of  float,  which  we 
made  with  much  toil  and  labor,  and  our  horses  swam  over.  Some 
time  after  we  were  passed,  we  saw  the  Indians  coming,  who  had 
promised  to  bear  us  company,  and  were  glad  to  find  our  float,  to  cross 
the  same  river,  as  they  did,  and  proceeded  on  our  journey  all 
together. 

The  4th,  5th  and  Gth,  we  did  the  same,  crossing  a  very  fine 
country,  but  watered  by  many  brooks,  streams  and  rivers.  We 
found  abundance  of  wild  coats,  turkevs  and  other  wild-fowl,  whereof 

o  '  ^ 

our  Indians  killed  many. 

On  the  (5th,  whilst  we  halted  on  the  bank  of  a  river  to  eat,  we 
beard  the  tinkling  of  some  small  bells  ;  which  making  us  look  about, 
we  spied  an  Indian  with  a  naked  sword-blade  in  his  hand,  adorned 
with  feathers  of  several  colors,  and  two  large  hawks'  bells,  that 
occasioned  the  noise  we  had  heard. 

lie  made  signs  for  us  to  come  to  him.  and  gave  us  to  understand, 
that  he  was  sent  by  the  elders  of  the  village,  whither  we,  were  going, 
to  meet  us,  caressing  us  after  an  extraordinary  manner.  I  observed 
that  it  was  a  Spanish  blade  he  had.  and  that  he  took  pleasure  in  ring- 
ing the  hawks'  bells. 

i  hiving  travelled  about  half  a  league  with  him,  we  discovered  a 
do/en  of  oilier  Indians  coining  towards  us,  who  made  very  much  of 
and  conducted  us  to  the  village,  to  the  chief's  cottage,  where  we 
found  dried  bear-skins  laid  on  the  ground,  and  they  made  us  sit  on 
them,  \\here  we  were  treated  with  eatables,  as  were  the  elders  after 
us.  and  a  thiong  of  women  came  to  see  us. 

The  7th.  the  eld'-rs  came  to  give  us  a  visit,  bringing  us  two 
buH'iek-'  liide<.  four  otters'  skins,  one  white  wild-goat's  skin,  all  of 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  171 

them  well  dried,  and  four  bows,  in  return  for  the  present  we  had  be- 
fore made  them.  The  chief  and  another  came  again  some  time 
after,  bringing  two  loaves,  the  finest  and  the  best  we  had  yet  seen. 
They  looked  as  if  they  had  been  baked  in  an  oven,  and  yet  we  had 
not  observed  that  there  were  ovens  among  any  of  them.  That  chief 
stayed  with  us  some  hours  ;  he  seemed  to  be  very  ingenious  and  dis- 
creet, and  easily  understood  our  signs,  which  were  most  of  the  lan- 
guage we  had.  Having  ordered  a  little  boy  to  bring  us  all  we  had 
occasion  for.  he  withdrew. 

Towards  the  evening,  we  were  entertained  with  a  ceremony  we 
had  not  seen  before.  A  company  of  elders,  attended  by  some  young 
men  and  women,  came  to  our  cottage  in  a  body,  singing  as  loud  as 
they  could  roar.  The  foremost  of  them  had  a  calumet,  so  they  call 
a  very  long  sort  of  tobacco-pipe,  adorned  with  several  sorts  of 
feathers.  When  they  had  sung  a  while,  before  our  cottage,  they 
entered  it,  still  singing  on  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  After 
that,  they  took  M.  Cavelier  the  priest,  as  being  our  chief,  led  him  in 
solemn  manner  out  of  the  cottage,  supporting  him  under  the  arms. 
When  they  were  come  to  a  place  they  had  prepared,  one  of  them 
laid  a  great  handful  of  grass  on  his  feet,  two  others  brought  fair 
water  in  an  earthen  dish,  with  which  they  washed  his  face,  and 
then  made  him  sit  down  on  a  skin,  provided  for  that  purpose. 

When  M.  Cavelier  was  seated,  the  elders  took  their  places,  sitting 
round  about  him,  and  the  master  of  the  ceremonies  fixed  in  the 
ground  two  little  wooden  forks,  and  having  laid  a  stick  across  them, 
all  being  painted  red,  he  placed  on  them  a  bullock's  hide  dried,  a 
goat's  skin  over  that,  and  then  laid  the  pipe  thereon. 

The  song  was  begun  again,  the  women  mixing  in  the  chorus,  and 
the  concert  was  heightened  by  great  hollow  calabashes  or  gourds,  in 
which  there  were  large  gravel  stones,  to  make  a  noise,  the  Indians 
striking  on  them  by  measure,  to  answer  the  tone  of  the  choir  ;  and 
the  pleasantcst  of  all  was.  that  one  of  the  Indians  placed  himself 
behind  M.  Cavelier  to  hold  him  up,  whilst  at  the  same  time  he 
shook  and  dandled  him  from  side  to  side,  the  motion  answering  to  the 
music. 

That,  concert  was  scarce  ended,  when  the  master  of  the  ceremonies 
brought  two  maids,  the  one  having  in  her  hand  a  sort  of  collar,  and 
the  other  an  otter's  skin,  which  they  placed  on  the  wooden  forks 
above-mentioned,  at  the  ends  of  the  pipe.  Then  he  made  them  sit 
down,  on  each  side  of  M.  Cavelier,  in  such  a  posture  that  they  look- 
ed one  upon  the  other,  their  legs  extended  and  intermixed,  on  which 


172  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

the  same  master  of  the  ceremonies  laid  M.  Cavelier's  legs,  in  such 
manner  that  they  lay  uppermost,  and  across  those  of  the  two  maids. 

Whilst  this  action  was  performing,  one  of  the  elders  made  fast  a 
dyed  feather  to  the  back  part  of  M.  Cavelier's  head,  tying  it  to  his 
hair.  The  singing  still  continued  all  that  time,  so  that  M.  Cavclier, 
grown  weary  of  its  tediousness,  and  ashamed  to  see  himself  in  that 
posture  between  two  maids,  without  knowing  to  what  purpose,  made 
signs  to  us  to  signify  the  same  to  the  chief,  and  having  given  him  to 
understand  that  he  was  not  well,  two  of  the  Indians  immediately 
took  hold  of  him  under  the  arms,  conducted  him  back  to  the  cottage, 
and  made  signs  to  him  to  take  his  rest.  This  was  about  nine  in  the 
evening,  and  the  Indians  spent  all  the  night  in  singing,  insomuch  that 
some  of  them  could  hold  out  no  longer. 

In  the  morning  they  returned  to  M.  Cavelier.  conducted  him  again 
out  of  the  cottage,  with  the  same  ceremony,  and  made  him  sit  down, 
still  singing  on.  Then  the  master  of  the  ceremonies  took  the  pipe, 
which  he  fdled  with  tobacco,  lighted,  and  offered  it  to  M.  Cavelier, 
but  drawing  back  and  advancing  six  times  before  he  gave  it  him. 
Having  at  last  put  it  into  his  hands,  M.  Cavelier  made  as  if  he  had 
smoked,  and  returned  it  to  them.  Then  they  made  us  all  smoke 
round,  and  every  one  of  them  whiffed  in  his  turn,  the  music  still  con- 
tinuing. 

About  nine  in  the  morning,  the  sun  growing  very  hot.  and  M.  Ca- 
velier being  bareheaded,  made  signs  that  it  did  him  harm.  Then  at 
last  they  gave  over  singing,  and  conducted  him  back  into  the  cot- 
tage, took  the  pipe,  put  it  into  a  case  made  of  a  wild  goat's  skin,  with 
the  two  wooden  forks  and  the  red  stick  that  lay  across  them,  all 
which  one  of  the  elders  offered  to  M.  Cavelier,  assuring  him  that  he 
might  pass  through  all  the  nations  that  were  allied  to  them  by  virtue 
of  that  token  of  peace,  and  should  be  everywhere  well  received. 
This  was  the  first  place  where  we  saw  the  calumet,  or  pipe  of  peace, 
having  no  knowledge  of  it  before,  as  some  have  written.  This  nation 
is  called  Cahaynohoua. 

This  sort,  of  ceremonies  beino;  never  performed  among  the  Indians 
without,  the  expectation  of  receiving  some  present,  and  we  having 
besides  observed  that  some  of  them  had  withdrawn  themselves,  with 
tokens  of  dissatisfaction,  perhaps  because  we  had  interrupted  their 
ceremony,  we  thought  it  convenient  to  give  them  something  more, 
and  I  was  appointed  to  carry  them  an  axe.  four  knives,  and  some 
strings  of  beads,  with  which  they  were  satisfied. 

We  afterwards  showed  them  an  experiment  of  our  arms,  the  noise 


JOUTELS    HISTORICAL    JOURNAL. 

and  fire  whereof  frightened  them.  They  earnestly  pressed  us  to  stay 
with  them,  offering  us  wives,  and  whatsoever  else  we  should  want. 
To  be  better  quit  of  them  we  promised  to  return,  saying  we  were 
going  to  fetch  commodities,  arms,  and  tools,  which  we  stood  in  need 
of,  that  we  might  afterwards  stay  with  them. 

The  9th  and  10th  were  spent  in  visits,  and  we  were  informed  by 
one  of  the  Indians  that  we  were  not  far  from  a  great  river,  which  he 
described  with  a  stick  on  the  sand,  and  showed  it  had  two  branches, 
at  the  same  time  pronouncing  the  word  Cappa.  which,  as  I  have  said, 
is  a  nation  near  the  Mississippi.  We  then  made  no  longer  question 
that  we  were  near  what  we  had  been  so  long  looking  after.  We 
entreated  the  elders  to  appoint  some  men  to  conduct  us,  promising  to 
reward  them  well,  uhich  they  granted,  and  we  set  out  the  llth,  to 
the  great  sorrow  of  those  good  people,  who  had  entertained  us  so 
courteously. 

We  travelled  several  different  ways,  which  we  could  never  have 
found,  had  we  wanted  guides,  and  so  proceeded,  till,  on  the  12th,  one 
of  our  guides  pretended  to  be  sick,  and  made  signs  that  he  would  go 
back  ;  but  observing  that  we  seemed  to  be  no  way  concerned,  which 
we  did  on  purpose,  he  consulted  with  his  companion,  and  then  came 
to  tell  us  he  was  recovered.  We  made  him  eat  and  smoke,  and 
continued  our  journey  the  13th,  finding  the  way  very  bad  and  diffi- 
cult. 

The  14th,  our  Indians,  having  seen  the  track  of  bullocks,  signified 
they  would  go  kill  some,  to  eat  the  flesh,  which  made  us  halt  for  two 
or  three  hours.  Whilst  we  stayed  for  our  hunters,  we  prepared  some 
sagamite,  or  their  sort  of  hasty-pudding.  They  returned  loaded  with 
flesh,  part  whereof  we  dressed,  and  eat  it  with  very  good  stomachs. 
Then  we  proceeded  on  our  journey  till  the  18th,  and  by  the  way 
killed  three  bullocks  and  two  cows,  which  obliged  us  to  halt,  that  we 
might  make  use  of  our  flesh,  drying  it. 

The  night  between  the  19th  and  the  20th,  one  of  our  horses 
breaking  loose,  was  either  taken  away  by  the  natives  or  lost  in  the 
woods.  That  did  not  obstruct  our  departure,  though  the  loss  was 
grievous  to  us,  and  we  held  on  our  way  till  the  24th,  when  we  met  a 
company  of  Indians,  with  axes,  going  to  fetch  barks  of  trees,  to  cover 
their  cottages.  They  were  surprised  to  see  us,  but  having  made 
signs  to  them  to  draw  near,  they  came,  caressed,  and  presented  us 
with  some  watermelons  they  had.  They  put  off  their  design  of 
going  to  fetch  bark  till  another  time,  and  went  along  with  us,  and 
one  of  our  guides  having  gone  before  in  the  morniiKr  to  mve  notice 


174  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

of  our  corning  at  the  next  village,  met  with  other  parcels  of  Indians, 
who  were  coming  to  meet  us,  and  expressed  extraordinary  kindness. 
We  halted  in  one  of  their  cottages,  which  they  call  Desert,  be- 
cause they  are  in  the  midst  of  their  fields  and  gardens.  There  we 
found  several  women  who  had  Drought  bread,  gourds,  beans,  and 
watermelons,  a  sort  of  fruit  proper  to  quench  thirst,  the  pulp  of  it 
being  no  better  than  water. 

We  set  out  again  to  come  to  the  village,  and  by  the  way  met  with 
very  pleasant  woods,  in  which  there  were  abundance  of  stately 
cedars.  Being  come  to  a  river  that  was  between  us  and  the  village, 
and  looking  over  to  the  further  side  we  discovered  a  great  cross, 
and  at  a  small  distance  from  it,  a  house  built  alter  the  French  fashion. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  what  inward  joy  we  conceived  at  the  sight 
of  that  emblem  of  our  salvation.  We  knelt  down,  lifting  up.  our 
hands  and  eyes  to  heaven,  to  return  thanks  to  the  Divine  Good- 
ness, for  having  conducted  us  so  happily  ;  for  we  made  no  question 
of  finding  French,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  of  their  being 
Catholics,  since  they  had  crosses. 

Jn  short,  having  halted  for  some  time  on  the  bank  of  that  river,  we 
spied  several  canoes  making  towards  us,  and  two  men  clothed  coming 
out  of  the  house  we  had  discovered,  who,  the  moment  they  saw  us, 
fired  each  of  them  a  shot  to  salute  us.  An  Indian,  being  chief  of 
the  village,  who  was  with  them,  had  done  so  before,  and  we  were 
not  backward  in  returning  their  salute,  by  discharging  all  our  pieces. 

AVhen  we  had  passed  the  river,  and  were  all  come  together,  we 
soon  knew  each  other  to  be  Frenchmen.  Those  we  found  were  the 
Sieurs  Couture  Charpentier.  and  Do  Launay,  both  of  them  of  Rouen, 
whom  M.  tie  Tonty,  governor  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  among  the  Illinois, 
had  left  at  that  post  whin  he  went  down  the  Mississippi  to  look  after 
M.  de  la  Salle  ;  and  the  nation  we  were  then  with  was  called 
Accancea. 

It  is  hard  to  express  the  joy  conceived  on  both  sides  ;  ours  was 
unspeakable,  for  having  at  last  found  what  we  had  so  earnestly  desir- 
ed, and  that  the  hopes  of  returning  to  our  dear  country  were  in  some 
measure  assured  by  that  happy  discovery.  The  others  were  pleased  to 
see  such  persons  as  might  bring  them  news  of  that  commander  from 
whom  they  expected  the  performance  of  what  he  had  promised  them  j 
but  the  account  we  gave-  them  of  M.  tie  la  Salle's  unfortunate  death 
was  so  alllicting  that  it  drew  tears  from  them,  and  the  dismal  history 
of  his  troubles  and  disasters  rendered  them  almost  inconsolable, 

We  were  conducted   to   the  house,  whither  all  our  baggage  was 


JOUTELS    HISTORICAL    JOURNAL. 

honestly  carried  by  the  Indians.  There  was  a  very  great  throng  of 
those  people,  botli  men  and  women,  which  being  over,  we  came  to 
the  relation  of  the  particular  circumstances  of  our  stories.  Ours  was 
delivered  by  M.  Cavelier,  whom  we  honored  as  our  chief,  for  being 
brother  to  him  who  had  been  so. 

We  were  informed  by  them,  that  they  had  been  six,  sent  by  M. 
Tonty,  when  he  returned  from  the  voyage  he  had  made  down  the 
Colbert  or  Mississippi  river,  pursuant  to  the  orders  sent  him  by  the 
late  M.  de  la  Salle,  at  his  departure  from  France,  and  that  the  said 
Sieur  Tonty  had  commanded  them  to  build  the  aforesaid  house. 
That  having  never  since  received  any  news  from  the  said  M.  de  la 
Salle,  four  of  them  were  gone  back  to  M.  Tonty,  at  the  fort  of  the 
Illinois. 

In  conclusion,  it  was  agreed  among  us  to  go  away  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, towards  the  Illinois,  and  conceal  from  the  Indians  the  death  of 
M.  de  la  Salle,  to  keep  them  still  in  awe  and  under  submission, 
whilst  we  went  away  with  the  first  ships  that  should  happen  to 
sail  from  Canada  for  France,  to  give  an  account  at  court  of 
what  had  happened,  and  to  procure  succors.  In  the  meantime  the 
chief  of  the  Indians  came  to  invite  us  to  cat.  We  found  mats  laid 
on  the  ground  for  us  to  sit  on,  and  all  the  village  met  to  sec  us. 

"We  gave  them  to  understand,  that  we  came  from  M.  de  la  Salle, 
who  had  made  a  settlement  on  the  Bay  of  Mexico  ;  that,  we  had 
passed  through  many  nations,  which  we  named,  and  that  we  were 
going  to  Canada  for  commodities,  and  would  return  down  the  river  ; 
that  we  would  bring  men  to  defend  them  against  their  enemies,  and 
then  settle  among  them  ;  that  the  nations  we  had  passed  through  had 
appointed  men  to  guide  us,  and  we  desired  the  same  favor  of  them, 
with  some  canoes  and  provisions,  and  that  we  would  reward  our 
guides  and  pay  for  what  they  furnished  us. 

The  conveniency  of  an  interpreter,  we  then  had,  gave  us  the 
opportunity  of  making  ourselves  be  easily  understood,  and  the  chief 
answered  to  our  proposals,  that  he  would  send  men  to  the  other  vil- 
lages to  acquaint  them  with  our  demands,  and  to  consult  with  them 
what  was  to  be  done  in  that  case  ;  that  as  for  the  rest,  they  were 
amazed  at  our  having  passed  through  so  many  nations,  without  hav- 
ing been  detained,  or  killed,  considering  what  a  small  number  we 
were. 

When  the  discourse  was  ended,  that  chief  caused  meat  to  be  set 
before  us.  as  dried  flesh,  bread  made  of  Indian  corn  of  several  sorts, 
and  watermelons  ;  after  which  he  made  us  smoke,  and  then  we 


17G  HISTORICAL    COLLECTION'S    OF    LOUISIANA. 

returned  to  our  house,  where  being  cased  of  all  those  impediments, 
we  gave  each  other  an  account  of  our  affairs,  at  leisure,  and  were 
informed  that  those  people  impatiently  expected  the  return  of  M.  de 
la  Salle,  which  confirmed  us  in  the  resolution  of  concealing  his 
death.  We  observed  the  situation  of  that  post,  and  were  made 
acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  country  and  the  manners  of  those 
people,  of  which  I  shall  give  the  following  remarks. 

The  house  we  were  then  in,  was  built  of  pieces  of  cedar  laid  one 
upon  another,  and  rounded  away  at  the  corners.  It  is  seated  on  a 
small  eminence,  half  a  musket-shot  from  the  village,  in  a  country 
abounding  in  all  things.  The  plains  lying  on  one  side  of  it  are 
stored  with  beeves,  wild  goats,  deer,  turkeys,  bustards,  swans,  teal  and 
other  game. 

The  trees  produce  plenty  of  fruit,  and  very  good,  as  peaches, 
plums,  mulberries,  grapes  and  walnuts.  They  have  a  sort  of  fruit 
they  call  piaguimina,  not  unlike  our  medlars,  but  much  better  and 
more  delicious.  Such  as  live  near  the  rivers,  as  that  house  is,  do 
not  want  for  fish  of  all  sorts,  and  they  have  Indian  wheat,  whereof 
they  make  good  bread.  There  arc  also  fine  plains  diversified  with 
several  sorts  of  trees,  as  I  have  said  before. 

The  nation  of  the  Accanceas  consists  of  four  villages.  The  first 
is  called  Otsotchove,  near  which  we  were  ;  the  second  Toriman,  both 
of  them  seated  on  the  river  ;  the  third  Tonginga,  and  the  fourth 
Cappa,  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  These  villages  are  built  after 
a  different  manner  from  the  others  we  had  seen  before,  in  this  point, 
that  the  cottages  which  are  alike  as  to  their  materials  and  rounding 
at  the  top.  arc  lonu.  and  covered  with  the  bark  of  trees,  and  so  very 
large  that  several  of  them  can  hold  t\vo  hundred  persons,  belonging 
to  several  families. 

The  people  are  not  so  neat  as  the  (Vnis.  or  the  Assonis,  in  their 
houses,  for  some  of  them  lie  on  the  ground,  without  anything  under 
them  but  some  mats  or  a  dressed  hide.  However,  some  of  them 
have  more  conveniences,  but  the  generality  has  not.  All  their 
moveables  consist  in  some  earthen  vessels  and  oval  wooden  platters. 
which  arc  neatly  made,  and  with  which  they  drive  a  trade. 

They  are  generally  very  well  shaped  and  active  :  the  women  arc 
handsome.  <>r  at  least  have  a  much  better  presence  than  those  of  the 
other  villages  we  passed  through  before.  They  make  canoes  all  of 
one  piece,  which  are  well  wrought.  As  for  themselves  they  are 
very  faithful,  good-natured,  and  warriors,  like  the  rest. 

The  XJ5th,  the  elders  being  assembled  came  to  see  us,  and  told  the 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  177 

Sicur  Couture,  that  they  designed  to  sing  and  dance  the  calumet,  or 
pipe  ;  because  the  others  had  sung  it,  some  of  them  to  the  late  M.  de 
la  Salle,  and  the  rest  to  M.  Tonty,  and  therefore  it  was  but  reasonable 
they  should  do  the  same  to  get  a  firelock,  as  well  as  the  others.  M. 
Cavelier  was  informed  of  it,  and  it  was  requisite  to  consent  to  it  to 
please  those  Indians,  because  we  stood  in  need  of  them. 

The  ceremony  began  with  M.  Cavelier,  who  was  led  under  the 
arms  and  seated  on  a  hide  without  the  cottage.  The  forks,  the  skins 
laid  on  it  in  honor  of  the  pipe,  the  singing  as  loud  as  they  could  roar. 
both  by  men  and  women,  and  all  the  other  ceremonies  were  observed. 
as  I  have  mentioned  them  before  ;  so  that  M.  Cavelier  being  weary 
of  them,  he  caused  the  chief  to  be  told  that  he  was  out  of  order,  and 
desired  his  nephew  might  be  put  in  his  place,  which  was  done  ac- 
cordingly, and  they  spent  the  whole  night  in  singing.  In  the  morn- 
ing they  performed  some  other  ceremonies  not  worth  relating. 

The  solemnity  being  ended  by  every  man's  smoking  of  the  pipe, 
the  Indians  took  it,  with  some  bullocks'  hides,  and  goats'  and  otters' 
skins,  and  a  collar  made  of  shells,  all  which  they  carried  to  our 
house,  and  we  gave  them  a  firelock,  two  axes,  six  knives,  one  hun- 
dred charges  of  powder,  as  much  ball,  and  some  strings-of  beads  for 
their  wives.  The  chief  having  given  notice  of  our  coming  to  the 
other  villages,  their  deputies  came  to  see  us  ;  we  entertained  them 
in  the  house,  and  proposed  to  them  our  designs,  as  had  been  done  to 
the  chief.  They  stood  considering  a  while,  then  held  a  sort  of  con- 
sultation among  themselves,  which  held  not  long  without  talking,  and 
then  agreed  to  grant  us  what  we  asked,  which  was  a  canoe  and  a 
man  of  each  village  to  conduct  us,  upon  the  promised  consideration, 
and  so  they  went  away  to  the  cottage  of  the  chief  of  the  village. 

The  27th,  the  chief  and  the  elders  met  again  to  consult  about 
what  we  demanded  of  them  ;  the  length  of  the  journey  made  them 
apprehensive  for  those  who  were  to  conduct  us  ;  but  at  length  we 
having  dispelled  their  fears  by  our  arguments,  and  thev  having  a^ain 

O  I  *  D  ^  ^       C 

deliberated  some  time,  agreed  to  our  request.  We  again  made  them 
a  present,  promising  a  good  reward  to  our  guides,  and  so  we  prepared 
to  set  forwards.  Little  Bartholomew,  the  Parisian,  having  intimated 
to  us  that  he  would  willingly  stay  in  that  house,  because  he  was 
none  of  the  ablest  of  body,  we  recommended  him  to  the  Sieur  Cou- 
ture. We  desired  those  that  remained  there  to  keep  the  secret  of  M. 
de  la  Salle's  death,  promised  to  send  them  relief,  left  them  our  horses, 
which  were  of  great  use  to  go  a  hunting,  and  gave  them  fifteen  or 
sixteen  pounds  of  powder,  eight  hundred  balls,  three  hundred  flints, 

13 


178  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

twenty-six  knives,  and  ten  axes,  two  or  three  pounds  weight  of 
beads;  M.  Cavelier  left  them  part  of  his  linen,  hoping  we  should 
soon  be  in  a  place  where  we  should  get  more  ;  and  all  of  them  hav- 
ing made  their  peace  with  God,  by  means  of  the  sacrament  of 
penance,  we  took  leave  of  them,  excepting  the  Sieur  Couture,  who 
went  to  conduct  us  a  part  of  the  way. 

We  embarked  on  a  canoe  belonging  to  one  of  the  chiefs,  being  at 
least  twenty  persons,  as  well  women  as  men,  and  arrived  safe,  with- 
out any  trouble,  at  a  village  called  Toriman,  for  we  were  going 
down  the  river.  We  proposed  it  to  these  people,  or  rather  demanded 
it  of  them  to  confirm  what  had  been  granted  us  by  the  others,  and 
they  referred  giving  us  their  answer  till  the  next  day  ;  for  they  do 
nothing  without  consulting  about  it,  and  we  having  brought  a  sack 
of  Indian  wheat  from  the  Frenchmen's  house,  desired  the  chief  to 
cause  women  to  pound  it,  for  which  we  would  give  them  something. 
Immediately  he  made  a  sign  to  his  officers  to  go  call  them,  and  they 
went  as  readily. 

There  were  seven  or  eight  of  those  officers  always  about  him, 
stark-naked,  and  besmeared,  some  after  one  fashion  and  others  after 
another.  Each  of  them  had  three  or  four  calabashes,  or  gourds, 
hanging  at  a  leather  girdle  about  their  waists,  in  which  there  were 
several  pebbles,  and  behind  them  hung  a  horse's  tail,  so  that  when 
they  ran  the  gourds  made  a  rattling  noise,  and  the  tail  being  borne 
up  by  the  wind,  stood  out  at  its  full  length,  so  that  nothing  could  be 
seen  more  ridiculous  ;  but  it  behooved  us  to  take  heed  of  showing 
the  least  smile. 

The  remaining  part  of  the  day  was  spent  in  going  with  Sieur  Cou- 
ture to  sec  the  fatal  river  so  much  sought  after  by  us,  called  Colbert, 
when  first  discovered,  and  Mississippi,  or  Mechassippi,  by  the  natives 
that  were  near  us.  It  is  a  very  fine  river,  and  deep  ;  the  breadth  of 
it  about  a  quarter  of  a  league,  and  the  stream  very  rapid.  The 
Sieur  Couture  assured  us  that  it  has  two  branches  or  channels  which 
parted  from  each  other  above  us,  and  that  we  had  passed  its  other 
branch  when  we  came  to  the  first  village  of  the  Accanceas,  with 
which  nation  we  still  were. 

The  28th,  the  chief  and  the  elders  being  assembled,  they  granted 
our  requests.  We  were  to  part,  in  order  to  be  entertained  in  several 
places,  where  we  took  notice  of  some  particular  ceremonies,  which 
we  had  not  seen  among  the  other  nations.  One  of  them  is,  that  they 
serve  up  their  meat  in  two  or  four  large  dishes,  which  are  first  set 
down  before  the  two  principal  guests,  who  are  at  one  end,  and  when 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  179 

they  have  eaten  a  little,  those  dishes  are  shoved  down  lower,  and 
others  are  served  up  in  their  place,  in  the  same  manner ;  so  that  the 
first  dishes  are  served  at  the  upper  end,  and  thrust  down  lower  as 
others  come  in.. 

He  who  treats  does  not  sit  down  with  the  company,  nor  does  he 
eat,  but  performs  the  part  of  a  steward,  taking  care  of  the  dressing 
and  of  the  placing  of  the  meat  served  up  ;  and  to  the  end  he  may 
appear  the  finer,  he  never  fails  to  besmear  himself  with  clay,  or  some 
red  or  black  coloring  they  make  use  of. 

The  29th  we  set  out  from  that  village,  and  embarked  on  two  ca- 
noes to  cross  the  Mississippi.  The  chief  and  about  a  score  of  young 
folks  bore  us  company  to  the  next  village,  called  Tonningua,  seated 
on  the  bank  of  that  river,  where  we  were  received  in  the  chief's  cot- 
tage, as  we  had  been  in  the  others.  The  elders  treated  us  in  their 
turns,  and  the  descriptions  before  given  will  serve  for  this  place, 
there  being  but  little  difference  between  them  and  their  neighbors. 

The  30th,  we  set  out  for  Cappa,  the  last  village  of  the  Accanceas, 
eight  leagues  distant  from  the  place  we  had  left.  We  were  obliged 
to  cross  the  river  Mississippi  several  times  in  this  way  ;  because  it 
winds  very  much,  and  we  had  some  foul  weather,  which  made  it  late 
before  we  could  reach  Cappa.  A  great  number  of  youths  came  to 
meet  us  ;  some  of  them  conducted  us  to  the  chief's  cottage,  and 

*  o     J 

others  took  care  of  our  baggage,  which  was  restored  to  us  very  ho- 
nestly. We  found  the  elders  waiting  for  us  ;  a  great  fire  was  kin- 
dled to  dry  us,  and  the  cottage  was  lighted  by  several  burning  reeds, 
which  they  make  use  of  instead  of  flambeaux ;  after  which  we  were 
served  as  in  other  places. 

The  31st,  we  received  visits  from  the  elders.  Their  discourse  ran 
upon  the  war  they  designed  to  make,  thinking  to  engage  us  in  it,  and 
we  returned  the  same  answer  as  we  had  done  to  the  others,  that  we 
should  soon  return  with  all  things  we  stood  in  need  of.  We  asked 
a  man  of  them,  which  was  granted,  and  the  day  ended  in  feasting. 

We  would  willingly  have  set  out  the  first  of  August;  but  the  chief 
came  and  told  us  it  could  not  be,  because  the  women  had  not  pound- 
ed our  corn,  which,  however,  was  done  ;  but  they  made  use  of  that 
pretence  to  oblige  us  to  stay,  and  to  have  leisure  to  give  us  some  di- 
version, after  their  manner.  Accordingly,  about  ten  in  the  morning, 
the  warriors  and  youth  came  together  to  dance.  They  were  dressed 
after  their  best  manner,  some  of  them  wearing  plumes  of  several 
colors,  wherewith  they  adorn  their  heads  ;  others,  instead  of  feathers, 
had  two  bullocks''  horns,  and  were  all  besmeared  with  clay,  or  black 


180  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

and  red,  so  that  they  really  looked  like  a  company  of  devils  or  mon- 
sters, and  in  those  figures  they  danced  as  I  have  described  it,  speak- 
ing of  the  other  nations. 

The  2d,  we  made  ready  to  be  going.  The  Indian  given  by  the 
first  village  for  our  guide,  would  not  go  any  farther.  A  man,  said  to 
be  a  hermaphrodite,  offered  to  supply  his  place,  saying  he  was  wil- 
ling to  go  to  the  Illinois.  We  took  leave  of  the  Sieur  Couture,  to 
whom  M.  Cavelier  made  an  exhortation,  encouraging  him  to  perse- 
vere and  have  patience,  in  hopes  of  the  relief  we  would  send  him, 
and  so  we  embarked  on  the  Mississippi  in  a  canoe,  being  nine  in  num- 
ber, that  is,  five  of  us,  and  the  four  Indians  that  were  our  guides. 
We  were  obliged  to  cross  that  river  very  often,  and  no  less  frequent- 
ly to  carry  our  canoe  and  goods,  as  well  on  account  of  the  rapidity 
of  the  river,  and  to  find  it  slacker  on  the  one  or  the  other  side  of  it, 
which  was  very  troublesome  to  our  guides,  as  because  of  the  little 
islands  we  met  with,  which  arc  formed  by  the  impetuous  beating  of 
the  water  upon  the  banks,  that  oppose  its  course,  where  the  channels 
happen  not  to  lie  straight ;  there  it  washes  away  the  earth,  and  bears 
down  great  trees,  which  in  process  of  time  form  little  islands,  that 
divide  the  channel.  At  night  we  encamped  on  one  of  those  small 
islands,  for  our  greater  safety,  for  we  were  then  come  into  an  ene- 
my's nation,  called  Machigamea,  which  put  our  Indians  into  great 
fright. 

It  is  certain  our  toil  was  very  great,  for  we  were  obliged  to  row  in 
the  canoe,  to  help  our  Indians  to  stem  the  current  of  the  river,  be- 
cause we  wero  going  up,  and  it  was  very  strong  and  rapid;  we  were 
often  necessitated  to  land,  and  sometimes  to  travel  over  miry  lands, 
where  we  sunk  up  halfway  the  leg;  other  times  over  burning  sands, 
which  scorched  our  feet,  having  no  shoes,  or  else  over  splinters  of 
wood,  which  ran  into  the  soles  of  our  feet,  and  when  we  were  come 
to  the  resting  place,  we  were  to  provide  fuel  to  dress  our  meat,  and 
provide  all  things  for  our  Indians,  who  would  not  have  done  so  much 
as  go  fetch  a  cup  of  water,  though  we  wore  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  yet  we  were  happy  enough  in  having  them. 

We  proceeded  on,  continually  undergoing  the1  same  toil,  till  the 
7th,  when  we  saw  the  first  bullock  we  had  met  on  our  wav  since 
our  coming  among  the  Accanceas.  The  Indians,  who  had  a  great 
mind  to  cat  flesh,  mad"  a  sign  to  me,  to  go  kill  it.  I  pursued  and 
shot,  but  it  did  not  fall  ;  the  Indians  ran  after,  killed,  and  came  to 
tell  us  it  must  be  parched,  or  dried,  which  was  accordingly  done.  \ 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  181 

must  here  take  notice  of  a  ceremony  our  Indians  performed  when 
they  came  near  the  bullock,  before  they  flayed  it. 

In  the  first  place  they  adorned  his  head  with  some  swan's  and  bus- 
tard's down,  dyed  red,  and  put  some  tobacco  into  his  nostrils,  and 
between  the  clefts  of  the  hoofs.  When  they  had  flayed  him,  they 
cut  out  the  tongue  and  put  a  bit  of  tobacco  into  its  place  ;  then  they 
stuck  two  wooden  forks  into  the  ground,  laid  a  stick  across  them,  on 
which  they  placed  several  slices  of  the  flesh,  in  the  nature  of  an  of- 
fering. The  ceremony  being  ended,  we  parched  or  dried  the  best 
parts  of  the  beast,  and  proceeded  on  our  journey. 

The  9th,  we  found  the  banks  of  the  river  very  high,  and  the  earth 
of  them  yellow,  red  and  white,  and  thither  the  natives  came  to  fur- 
nish themselves  with  it,  to  adorn  their  bodies  on  festival  days.  We 
held  on  our  way  till  the  14th,  when  we  met  a  herd  of  bullocks, 
whereof  we  killed  five,  dried  part  of  them,  and  proceeded  till  the 
18th. 

The  19th,  we  came  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  called  Houabache, 
said  to  come  from  the  country  of  the  Iroquois,  towards  New  England. 
That  is  a  very  fine  river,  its  water  extraordinarily  clear,  and  the  cur- 
rent of  it  gentle.  Our  Indians  offered  up  to  it,  by  way  of  sacrifice, 
some  tobacco  and  beefsteaks,  which  they  fixed  on  forks,  and  left 
them  on  the  bank,  to  be  disposed  of  as  the  river  thought  fit.  We 
observed  some  other  superstitions  among  those  poor  people,  one 
whereof  was  as  follows. 

There  were  some  certain  days  on  which  they  fasted,  and  we 
knew  them,  when,  as  soon  as  they  awaked,  they  besmeared  their 
faces  and  arms,  or  other  parts  of  their  bodies,  with  a  slimy  sort  of 
earth,  or  pounded  charcoal  ;  for  that  day  they  did  not  eat  till  ten  or 
eleven  of  the  clock  at  night,  and  before  they  did  eat  they  were  to 
wipe  off  that  smearing,  and  had  water  brought  them  for  that  purpose. 
The  occasion  of  their  fasting  was,  as  they  gave  us  to  understand, 
that  they  might  have  good  success  in  hunting,  and  kill  abundance  of 

J  O  O  ~ J 

bullocks. 

We  he-Id  on  our  way  till  the  25th,  when  the  Indians  showed  us  a 
spring  of  salt  water,  within  a  musket  shot  of  us,  and  made  us  20 

1  O  '  O 

ashore  to  view  it.  We  observed  the  ground  about  it  was  much 
beaten  by  bullocks'  feet,  and  it  is  likely  they  love  that  salt  water. 
The  country  about  was  full  of  hillocks,  covered  with  oaks  and 
walnut  trees,  abundance  of  plum  trees,  almost  all  the  plums  red 
and  pretty  good,  besides  great  store  of  other  sorts  of  fruits,  whose 
names  we  know  not.  and  among  them  one  shaped  like  a  middling 


182  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

pear,  with  stones  in  it  as  big  as  large  beans.  When  ripe  it  peels 
like  a  peach  ;  the  taste  is  indifferent  good,  but  rather  of  the 
sweetest. 

The  27th,  having  discovered  a  herd  of  beeves,  we  went  ashore  to 
kill  some  ;  I  shot  a  heifer,  which  was  very  good  meat ;  we  put  aboard 
the  best  of  it,  and  held  on  our  way  till  the  evening,  when  we  en 
camped  on  an  island,  where  we  observed  an  alteration  in  the  humor 
and  behavior  of  our  Indians.  This  put  us  under  some  apprehension, 
and  the  more,  for  that  he  who  was  reckoned  a  hermaphrodite,  told 
us  they  intended  to  leave  us,  which  obliged  us  to  secure  our  arms, 
and  double  our  watch  during  the  night,  for  fear  they  should  forsake 
us. 

With  that  jealousy  we  proceeded  on  our  journey  the  28th  and 
29th,  coasting  along  the  foot  of  an  upright  rock,  about  sixty  or  eighty 
feet  high,  round  which  the  river  glides.  Held  on  the  30th  and  31st. 
and  the  1st  of  September  passed  by  the  mouth  of  a  river  called 
Missouri,  whose  water  is  always  thick,  and  to  which  our  Indians  did 
not  forget  to  offer  sacrifice. 

The  2d,  we  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  figure  is  of  the  pre- 
tended monster  spoken  of  by  Father  Marquet.  That  monster  con- 
sists of  two  scurvy  figures  drawn  in  red,  on  the  flat  side  of  a  rock, 
about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  which  wants  very  much  of  the  extra- 
ordinary height  that  relation  mentions.  However,  our  Indians  paid 
homage,  by  offering  sacrifice  to  that  stone  ;  though  we  endeavored  to 
give  them  to  understand  that  the  said  rock  had  no  manner  of  virtue, 
and  that  we  worshipped  something  above  it,  pointing  up  to  heaven  ; 
but  it  was  to  no  purpose,  and  they  made  signs  to  us  that  they  should 
die  if  they  did  not  perform  that  duty.  We  proceeded,  coasting 
along  a  chain  of  mountains,  and  at  length,  on  the  3d,  left  the  Missis- 
sippi, to  enter  the  river  of  the  Illinois. 

We  found  a  great  alteration  in  that  river,  as  well  with  respect  to 
its  course,  which  is  very  gentle,  as  to  the  country  about  it,  which  is 
much  more  agreeable  and  beautiful  than  that  about  the  great  river, 
by  reason  of  the  many  fine  woods  and  variety  of  fruit  its  banks  are 
adorned  with.  It  was  a  very  great  comfort  to  us  to  find  so  much 
ease  in  going  up  that  river,  by  reason  of  its  gentle  stream,  so  that 
we  all  stayed  in  the  canoe  and  made  much  more  way. 

Thus  we  went  on  till  the  ^th.  without  stopping  any  longer  than  to 
kill  a  bullock,  and  one  of  our  Indians,  who  had  a  craving  stomach. 
having  eaten  some  of  IN  .suet  hot  and  raw.  was  taken  very  ill.  an'! 
died  of  it,  as  I  shall  mention  in  its  place. 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  183 

The  9th,  we  came  into  a  lake,  about  half  a  league  over,  which  we 
crossed,  and  returned  into  the  channel  of  the  river,  on  the  banks 
whereof  we  found  several  marks  of  the  natives  having  been  encamped 
there,  when  they  came  to  fish  and  dry  what  they  caught.  The  10th; 
we  crossed  another  lake,  called  Primitehouy,  returned  to  the  river, 
and  the  llth,  saw  Indians  before  us,  encamped  on  the  bank  of  a 
river,  whereupon  we  stopped  and  made  ready  our  arms.  In  the 
meantime,  one  of  them  came  towards  us  by  land,  and  we  put  on  our 
canoe  towards  him. 

When  that  Indian  was  near,  he  stood  gazing  on  us  without  speak- 
ing a  word,  and  then  drawing  still  nearer,  we  gave  him  to  understand 
that  we  were  sent  by  M.  de  la  Salle,  and  came  from  him.  Then  he 
made  signs  to  us  to  advance  towards  his  people,  whom  he  went 
before  to  acquaint  with  what  we  had  said  to  him,  so  that  when  we 
were  come  near  them  they  fired  several  shot  to  salute  us,  and  we 
answered  them  with  our  firelocks. 

After  that  mutual  salutation,  they  came  into  our  canoe  to  signify 
they  were  glad  to  hear  news  of  M.  de  la  Salle.  We  asked  them 
what  nation  they  were  of;  they  answered,  they  were  Illinois,  of  a 
canton  called  Cascasquia.  We  inquired  whether  M.  Tonty  was  at 
Fort  Louis  ;  they  gave  us  to  understand  that  he  was  not,  but  that 
he  was  gone  to  the  war  against  the  Iroquois.  They  invited  us 
ashore  to  go  with  them  to  eat  of  such  as  they  had  ;  we  thanked 
them,  and  they  brought  us  some  gourds  and  watermelons,  in  ex- 
change for  which  we  gave  them  some  parched  flesh. 

We  had  not,  by  the  way,  taken  notice  of  a  canoe,  in  which  was  a 
man  with  two  women,  who,  being  afraid  of  us.  had  hidden  themselves 
among  the  reeds  ;  but  that  man  seeing  us  stop  among  his  countrymen, 
took  heart,  came  to  us,  and  having  told  us  that  he  belonged  to  a  vil- 
lage near  Fort  Louis,  we  set  out  together,  and  one  of  our  Indians 
went  into  that  canoe  to  help  them  to  shove,  so  they  call  the  way  of 
pushing  on  the  canoe  with  poles  instead  of  rowing. 

On  Sunday,  the  14th  of  September,  about  two  in  the  afternoon)  we 
came  into  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Louis.  Drawing  near,  we  were  met 
by  some  Indians  that  were  on  the  bank,  who  having  viewed  us  well., 
and  understanding  we  came  from  M.  de  la  Salic,  and  that  we  belonged 
to  him,  ran  to  the  fort  to  carry  the  news,  and  immediately  we  saw  a 
Frenchman  come  out,  with  a  company  of  Indians,  who  iircd  a  vol- 
ley of  several  pieces,  to  salute  us.  Then  the  Frenchman  drew  near 
and  dt-sired  us  to  come  ashore,  which  we  did,  leaving  only  one  in 
the  canoe  to  take  care  of  our  baggage,  for  the  Illinois  are  very  sharp 


184  HISTORICAL    COLLECTION'S    OF    LOUISIANA. 

at  carrying  off  anything  they  can  lay  their  hands  on.  and  conse- 
quently nothing  near  so  honest  as  the  nations  we  had  passed  through. 

We  all  walked  together  towards  the  fort,  and  found  three  French- 
men coming  to  meet  us,  and  among  them  a  clerk  who  had  belonged 
to  the  late  M.  de  la  Salle.  They  immediately  asked  us  where  M. 
de  la  Salle  was  ;  we  told  them  he  had  brought  us  part  of  the  way, 
and  left  us  at  a  place  about  forty  leagues  beyond  the  Cenis,  and  that 
he  was  then  in  good  health.  All  that  was  true  enough  •  for  M.  Ca- 
velier  and  I,  who  were  the  persons  that  then  spoke,  were  not  present 
at  M.  de  la  Salle's  death  ;  he  was  in  good  health  when  he  left  us, 
and  I  have  told  the  reasons  we  had  for  concealing  his  death,  till  we 
came  into  France. 

It  is  no  less  true  that  Father  Anastasius,  and  he  they  called 
Teissier.  could  have  given  a  better  account,  the  one  as  an  eyewitness, 
and  the  other  as  one  of  the  murderers,  and  they  were  both  with  us  : 
but  to  avoid  lying,  they  said  nothing.  We  farther  told  them  we  had 
orders  to  go  over  into  France,  to  give  an  account  of  the  discoveries 
made  by  M.  de  la  Salle,  and  to  procure  the  sending  of  succors. 

At  length  we  entered  the  fort,  where  we  found  and  surprised 
several  persons  who  did  not  expect  us.  All  the  French  were  under 
arms,  and  made  several  discharges  to  welcome  us.  M.  dc  la  Belle 
Fontaine,  lieutenant  to  M.  Tonty,  was  at  the  head  of  them,  and 
complimented  us.  Then  we  were  conducted  to  the  chapel,  where 
we  returned  thanks  to  Cod,  from  the  bottom  of  our  hearts,  for  having 
preserved  and  conducted  us  in  safety  ;  after  which  we  had  our  lodg- 
ing assigned  us.  M.  C'avelier  and  Father  Anastasius  had  one  cham- 
ber, and  we  were  put  into  the  magazine  or  ware-house.  All  this 
while  the  natives  came  by  intervals  to  lire  their  pieces,  to  express 
their  joy  fur  our  return,  and  for  the  news  we  brought  of  M.  de  la 
Salle,  which  refreshed  our  sorrow  fur  his  misfortune,  perceiving  that 
his  presence  would  have  settled  all  things  advantageously. 

The  day  after  our  arrival,  one  of  the  Indians  who  hud  conducted 
us  having  been  sick  ever  since  he  eat  the  raw  beef  suet  I  mentioned 
before,  died,  and  bis  companions  took  away  and  buried  him  privately. 
We  frave  them  the  promised  reward,  and  the  part  bc'lonjnnjj  to  the 

C-  i  l  O         ~ 

dead  man.  to  be  delivered  to  bis  relations.  They  stayed  some  time 
in  the  fort,  during  the  which  we  took  extraordinary  care  of  them, 
•ind  at  last  they  returned  to  their  own  homes. 

As  far  as  we  could  gather  by  half  words  dropped  there  by  one  or 
other  at  the  fort,  something  had  been  done  there  prejudicial  to  the 
service  of  M.  de  la  Sail.',  und  au'iiiust  his  authoritv.  and  therefore 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  185 

some  dreaded  his  return,  but  more  especially  a  Jesuit  was  in  great 
consternation.  He  was  sick  ;  M.  Cavelier,  Father  Anastasius,  and 
I,  went  to  visit  him.  He  inquired  very  particularly  of  all  points, 
and  could  not  conceal  his  trouble,  which  we  would  not  seem  to  take 
notice  of. 

Our  design  being  to  make  the  best  of  our  way  to  Canada,  in  order 
to  set  out  aboard  the  first  French  ships  that  should  sail  for  France, 
we  inquired  how  we  were  to  proceed,  and  met  with  several  difficul- 
ties. The  navigation  on  that  river  was  very  dangerous  by  reason 
of  the  falls  there  are  in  it,  which  must  be  carefully  avoided,  unless 
a  man  will  run  an  inevitable  hazard  of  perishing.  There  were  few 
persons  capable  of  managing  that  affair,  and  the  war  with  the  Iro- 
quois  made  all  men  afraid. 

However,  the  Sieur  Boisrondet,  clerk  to  the  late  M.  de  la  Salle. 
having  told  us  he  had  a  canoe  in  which  he  designed  to  go  down  to 
Canada,  we  prepared  to  make  use  of  that  opportunity.  Care  was 
taken  to  gather  provisions  for  our  voyage,  to  get  furs  to  barter  as  we 
passed  by  Micilimaquinay.  The  visits  of  two  chiefs  of  nations, 
called  Cascasquia  Peroueria  and  Cacahouanous,  discovered  by  the 
late  M.  de  la  Salle,  did  not  interrupt  our  affairs,  and  all  things  being 
got  ready  we  took  leave  of  those  we  left  in  the  fort-  M.  Cavelier 
wrote  a  letter  for  M.  Tonty,  which  he  left  there  to  be  delivered  to 
him,  and  we  repaired  to  the  lake  to  embark. 

It  would  be  needless  to  relate  all  the  troubles  and  hardships  we 
met  with  in  that  journey  ;  it  was  painful  and  fruitless,  for  having  gone 
to  the  bank  of  the  lake  in  very  foul  weather,  after  waiting  there  five 
days  for  that  foul  weather  to  cease,  and  after  \ve  had  embarked,  not- 
withstanding the  storm,  we  were  obliged  to  put  ashore  again,  to  re- 
turn to  the  place  where  we  had  embarked,  and  there  to  dig  a  hole  in 
the  earth  to  bury  our  baggage  and  provisions,  to  save  the  trouble  of 
carrying  them  back  to  Fort  Louis,  whither  we  returned,  and  arrived 
there  the  7th  of  October,  where  they  were  surprised  to  see  us  come 
back. 

Thus  were  we  obliged  to  continue  in  that  fort  all  the  rest  of 
autumn  and  part  of  the  winter,  to  our  great  sorrow,  and  not  so  much 
for  our  own  disappointment  as  for  being,  by  that  means,  obstructed 
from  sending  succors  as  soon  as  we  had  expected,  as  well  to  the  said 
fort  as  to  those  French  of  our  own  company,  whom  we  had  left  on 
the  coast  of  the  Bay  of  Mexico. 

It  was  then  the  good  season  for  shooting.  Those  gentlemen  at  the 
fort  had  secured  two  good  Indian  sportsmen,  who  never  let  us  want 


186  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

for  wild-fowl  of  all  sorts;  besides  we  had  good  bread,  and  as  good 
fruit,  and  had  there  been  anything  to  drink  besides  water,  we  had 
fared  well.  The  leisure  we  had  during  our  stay  there,  gave  me  an 
opportunity  of  making  the  following  remarks,  as  well  of  my  own 
observation,  as  what  I  learned  of  the  French  residing  there. 

Fort  Louis  is  in  the  country  of  the  Illinois,  and  seated  on  a  steep 
rock,  about  two  hundred  feet  high,  the  river  running  at  the  bottom  of 
it.  It  is  only  fortified  with  stakes  and  palisades,  and  some  houses 
advancing  to  the  edge  of  the  rock.  It  has  a  very  spacious  esplanade, 
or  place  of  arms.  The  place  is  naturally  strong,  and  might  be  made 
so  by  art,  with  little  expense.  Several  of  the  natives  live  in  it,  in 
their  huts.  1  cannot  give  an  account  of  the  latitude  it  stands  in,  for 
want  of  proper  instruments  to  take  an  observation,  but  nothing  can 
be  pleasanter ;  and  it  may  be  truly  affirmed,  that  the  country  of  the 
Illinois  enjoys  all  that  can  make  it  accomplished,  not  only  as  to  orna- 
ment, but  also  for  its  plentiful  production  of  all  things  requisite  for 
the  support  of  human  life. 

The  plain,  which  is  watered  by  the  river,  is  beautified  by  two 
small  hills,  about  half  a  league  distant  from  the  fort,  and  those  hills 
are  covered  with  groves  of  oaks,  walnut-trees,  and  other  sorts  I  have 
named  elsewhere.  The  fields  are  full  of  grass,  growing  up  very 
high.  On  the  sides  of  the  hills  is  found  a  gravelly  sort  of  stone, 
very  fit  to  make  lime  for  building.  There  arc  also  many  clay-pits, 
fit  for  making  of  earthenware,  bricks,  and  tiles  ;  and  along  the  river 
there  are  coal-pits,  the  coal  whereof  has  been  tried  and  found  very 
good . 

There  is  no  reason  to  question  but  that  there  are  in  this  country 
mines  of  all  sorts  of  metals,  and  of  the  richest,  the  climate  beiiif  the 

1  ~ 

same  as  that  of  New  Mexico.  We  saw  several  spots,  where  it  ap- 
peared there  were  iron  mines,  and  found  some  pieces  of  it  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  which  nature  had  cleansed.  Travellers  who  have 
been  at  the  upper  part  of  the  Mississippi,  affirm  they  have  found 
mines  there,  of  very  good  lead. 

That  country  is  one  of  the  most  temperate  in  the  world,  and  con- 
sequently whatsoever  is  sown  there,  whether  herbs,  roots,  Indian, 
and  even  European  corn,  thrives  very  well,  as  has  been  tried  by  the 
Sieur  IJoisrondet,  who  sowed  all  sorts,  and  had  a  plentiful  crop,  and 
we  cat  of  the  bread,  which  was  very  good.  And  whereas  we  were 
assured,  that  there  were  vines  which  run  up,  whose  grapes  are  very 
good  and  delicious,  growing  along  the  river,  it  is  reasonable  to  be- 
lieve, that  if  those  vines  were  transplanted  and  pruned,  there  might 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  187 

be  very  good  wine  made  of  them.  There  is  also  plenty  of  wild-apple 
and  pear-trees,  and  of  several  other  sorts,  which  would  afford  excel- 
lent fruit,  were  they  grafted  and  transplanted. 

All  other  sorts  of  fruit,  as  plums,  peaches,  and  others,  wherewith 
the  country  abounds,  would  become  exquisite,  if  the  same  industry 
were  used  ;  and  other  sorts  of  fruit  we  have  in  France  would  thrive 
well,  if  they  were  carried  over.  The  earth  produces  a  sort  of  hemp, 
whereof  cloth  might  be  made  and  cordage. 

As  for  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Illinois,  in  many  particu- 
lars they  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  other  nations  we  have  seen. 
They  are  naturally  fierce  and  revengeful,  and  among  them  the  toil 
of  sowing,  planting,  carrying  of  burdens,  and  doing  all  other  things 
that  belong  to  the  support  of  life,  appertains  peculiarly  to  the  women. 
The  men  have  no  other  business  but  going  to  the  war  and  hunting, 
and  the  women  must  fetch  the  game  when  they  have  killed  it,  which 
sometimes  they  are  to  carry  very  far  to  their  dwellings,  and  there  to 
parch,  or  dress  it  any  other  way. 

When  the  corn,  or  other  grain,  is  sown,  the  women  secure  it  from 
the  birds  till  it  comes  up.  Those  birds  are  a  sort  of  starlings,  like 
ours  in  France,  but  larger,  and  fly  in  great  swarms. 

The  Illinois  have  but  few  children,  and  are  extremely  fond  of 
them  ;  it  is  the  custom  among  them,  as  well  as  others  1  have  men- 
tioned, never  to  chide  or  beat  them,  but  only  to  throw  water  at 
them,  by  way  of  chastisement. 

The  nations  we  have  spoken  of  before,  are  not  at  all,  or  very  little, 
addicted  to  thieving ;  but  it  is  not  so  with  the  Illinois,  and  it  behoves 
every  man  to  watch  their  feet  as  well  as  their  hands,  for  they  know 
how  to  turn  anything  out  of  the  way  most  dexterously.  They  are 
subject  to  the  general  vice  of  all  the  other  Indians,  which  is  to  boast 
very  much  of  their  warlike  exploits,  and  that  is  the  main  subject  of 
their  discourse,  and  they  are  very  great  liars. 

They  pay  a  respect  to  their  dead,  as  appears  by  their  special  care 
of  burying  them,  and  even  of  putting  into  lofty  coffins  the  bodies  of 
such  as  are  considerable  among  them,  as  their  chiefs  and  others, 
which  is  also  practised  among  the  Accanccas,  but  they  differ  in  this 
particular,  that  the  Accanccas  weep  and  make  their  complaints  for 
some  days  :  whereas  the  Chahouanous,  and  other  people  of  the  Illi- 
nois nation;  do  just  the  contrary  ;  for  when  any  of  them  die,  they 
wrap  them  up  in  skins,  and  then  put  them  into  coffins  made  of  the 
barks  of  trees,  then  sing  and  dance  about  them  for  twenty-four 
hours.  Those  dancers  take  care  to  tie  calabashes  or  gourds  about 


188  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIAXA. 

their  bodies,  with  some  Indian  wheat  in  them,  to  rattle  and  make  a 
noise,  and  some  of  them  have  a  drum,  made  of  a  great  earthen  pot, 
on  which  they  extend  a  wild  goat's  skin,  and  beat  thereon  with  one 
stick,  like  our  tabors. 

During  that  rejoicing,  they  throw  their  presents  on  the  coffin,  as 
bracelets,  pendants,  or  pieces  of  earthenware,  and  strings  of  beads, 
encouraging  the  singers  to  perform  their  duty  well.  If  any  friend 
happens  to  come  thither  at  that  time,  he  immediately  throws  down 
his  present,  and  falls  a  singing  and  dancing  like  the  rest.  When 
that  ceremony  is  over,  they  bury  the  body,  with  part  of  the  presents, 
making  choice  of  such  as  may  be  most  proper  for  it.  They  also 
bury  with  it  some  store  of  Indian  wheat,  with  a  pot  to  boil  it  in,  for 
fear  the  dead  person  should  be  hungry  on  his  long  journey  ;  and 
they  repeat  the  same  ceremony  at  the  year's  end. 

A  good  number  of  presents  still  remaining,  they  divided  thorn  into 
several  lots,  and  play  at  a  game,  called  of  the  stick,  to  give  them  to 
the  winner.  That  game  is  played,  taking  a  short  stick,  very  smooth 
and  greased,  that  it  may  be  tiie  harder  to  hold  it  fast.  One  of  the 
elders  throws  that  stick  as  far  as  he  can,  the  young  men  run  after  it, 
snatch  it  from  each  other,  and  at  last,  he  who  remains  possessed  of 
it,  has  the  first  lot.  The  stick  is  then  thrown  again  ;  he  who  keeps  it 
then  has  the  second  lot,  and  so  on  to  the  end.  The  women,  whose 
husbands  have  been  slain  in  war,  often  perform  the  same  ceremony, 
and  treat  the  singers  and  dancers  whom  they  have  before  invited. 

The  marriages  of  the  Illinois  last  no  longer  than  the  parties  a^rec 

O  O  I 

together  ;  for  they  freely  part  after  a  hunting  bout,  each  going 
which  way  they  please,  without  any  ceremony.  However,  the  men 
are  jealous  enough  of  their  wives,  and  when  they  catch  them  in  a 
fault,  they  generally  cut  up  their  noses,  and  I  saw  one  who  had  been 
so  served. 

Nevertheless,  adultery  is  not  reckoner]  any  great  crime  among 
them,  and  there  are  women  who  make  no  secret  of  having  had  to  do 
with  Frenchmen.  Yet  are  they  not  sufficiently  addicted  to  that  vice 
to  offer  themselves,  and  they  never  fall,  unless  they  are  sued  to, 
when  they  are  none  of  the  most  difficult  in  the  world  to  be  prevailed 
on.  The  rest  I  leave  to  those  who  have  lived  longer  there  than 
me. 

continued   some  time    in   Fort   Louis   without     receiving   any 
Our  bu>ine.*.s  was,  after  having  heurd    mass,   which   we   had 
l  fortune  to  do  every  day.  to  divert  ourselves  the  best  way  wo 
The   Indian   women  dailv    brought  in  something  fresh:    *vo 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  189 

wanted  not  for  watermelons,  bread  made  of  Indian  corn,  baked  in 
the  embers,  and  other  such  things,  and  we  rewarded  them  by  little 
presents  in  return. 

On  the  27th  of  October,  of  the  same  year,  M.  Tonty  returned  from 
the  war  with  the  Iroquois.  Our  embraces  and  the  relation  of  our 
adventures  were  repeated  ;  but  still  concealing  from  him  the  death 
of  M.  de  la  Salle.  Fie  told  us  all  the  particulars  of  that  war,  and 
said  that  the  Iroquois  having  got  intelligence  of  the  march  of  the  French 
forces  and  their  allies,  had  all  come  out  of  their  villages  and  laid 
themselves  in  ambush  by  the  way  ;  but  that  having  made  a  sudden 
and  general  discharge  upon  our  men,  with  their  usual  cries,  yet 
without  much  harm  done,  they  had  been  repulsed  with  loss,  took 
to  flight,  and  by  the  way,  burnt  all  their  own  villages.  That  M. 
d' Hennonville,  chief  Governor  of  New  France,  had  caused  the  army 
to  march,  to  burn  the  rest  of  their  villages,  set  fire  to  their  country 
and  corn,  but  would  not  proceed  any  farther.  That  afterwards  he 
had  made  himself  master  of  the  several  canoes  belonging  to  the  Eng- 
lish, most  of  them  laden  with  brandy,  which  had  been  plundered; 
that  the  English  had  been  sent  prisoners  to  Montreal,  they  being 
come  to  make  some  attempt  upon  the  Illinois. 

We  continued  after  this  manner,  till  the  month  of  December,  when 
two  men  arrived  from  Montreal.  They  came  to  give  notice  to  M. 
Tonty.  that  three  canoes,  laden  with  merchandize,  powder,  ball,  and 
other  things,  were  arrived  at  Chicagon  ;  that  there  being  too  little 
water  in  the  river,  and  what  there  was  being  frozen,  they  could 
come  no  lower ;  so  that  it  being  requisite  to  send  men  to  fetch  those 
things,  M.  Tonty  desired  the  chief  of  the  Chahouanous  to  furnish 
him  with  people.  That  chief  accordingly  provided  forty,  men  as 
well  as  women,  who  set  out  with  some  Frenchmen.  The  honesty  of 
the  Chahouanous  was  the  reason  of  preferring  them  before  the  Illi- 
nois, who  are  naturally  knaves. 

That  ammunition  and  the  merchandize  were  soon  brought,  and 
very  seasonably,  the  fort  being  then  in  want.  We  stayed  there  till 
the  end  of  February,  1688,  at  which  time  we  fixed  our  resolution  to 
depart,  though  we  had  no  news  from  Canada,  as  we  expected.  We 
found  there  were  some  canoes  ready  to  undertake  that  voyage,  and 
we  laid  hold  of  that  opportunity  to  convey  each  other  to  the  Micili- 
maquinay,  where  we  hoped  to  meet  some  news  from  Canada. 

M.  Cavelier.  the  priest,  had  taken  care,  before  the  death  of  M.  de 
la  Salle,  his  brother,  to  get  of  him  a  letter  of  credit,  to  receive  either 
a  sum  of  money  or  furs  in  the  country  of  the  Illinois.  He  tendered 


190  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

that  letter  to  M.  Tonty,  who  believing  M.  de  la  Salic  was  still  alive, 
made  no  difficulty  of  giving  him  to  the  value  of  ahout  4000  livres  in 
furs,  castor  and  otter  skins,  a  canoe  and  other  effects,  for  which  the 
said  M.  Cavelier  gave  him  his  note,  and  we  prepared  for  our  jour- 
ney. 

I  have  before  observed  that  there  was  a  Jesuit,  whose  name  was 
Dalouez,  at  Fort  Louis,  and  who  had  been  very  much  surprised  to 
hear  that  M.  de  la  Salle  was  to  come  in  a  short  time,  being  under 
great  apprehensions  on  account  of  a  conspiracy  intended  to  have 
been  carried  on  against  M.  de  la  Salle's  interest.  That  father  per- 
ceiving our  departure  was  fixed,  moved  first,  and  went  away  fore- 
most, to  return  to  Micilimaquinay ;  so  that  they  were  left  without  a 
priest  at  Fort  Louis,  which  was  a  great  trouble  to  us,  because  we 
were  the  occasion  of  it,  and  therefore,  those  who  were  to  remain  in 
the  fort,  anticipated  the  time,  and  made  their  Easter,  taking  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  presence  of  F.  Anastasius  and  M.  Cavelier. 

At  length,  we  set  out  the  21st  of  March,  from  Fort  Louis.  The 
Sieur  Boisrondet,  who  was  desirous  to  return  to  France,  joined  us; 
we  embarked  on  the  river,  which  was  then  become  navigable,  and 
before  we  had  advanced  five  leagues,  met  with  a  rapid  stream  which 
obliged  us  to  go  ashore,  and  then  again  into  the  water,  to  draw  along 
our  canoe.  I  had  the  misfortune  to  hurt  one  of  my  feet  against  a 
rock  that  lay  under  water,  which  troubled  me  very  much  for  a  long 
time  ;  and  we  being  under  a  necessity  of  going  often  into  the  water, 
I  suffered  extremely,  and  more  than  I  had  done  since  our  departure 
from  the  Gulf  of  .Mexico. 

We  arrived  at  Chicagon  on  the  '29th  of  March,  and  our  first  care 
was  to  seek  what  we  had  concealed  at  our  former  voyage,  having, 
as  was  there  said,  buried  our  luggage  and  provisions.  \Ve  found  it 
had  been  opened,  and  some  furs  and  linen  taken  away,  almost  all  of 
which  belonged  to  me.  This  had  been  done  by  a  Frenchman,  whom 
M.  Tonty  had  sent  from  the  fort  during  the  winter  season,  to  know 
whether  there  were  any  canoes  at  Chicagon,  and  whom  he  had 
directed  to  see  whether  anybody  had  meddled  with  what  he  had  con- 
cealed, and  he  made  use  of  that  advice  to  rob  us. 

The  bad  weather  obliged  us  to  stay  in  that  place  till  April.  That 
time  of  rest  was  advantageous  for  the  healing  my  foot  ;  and  there 
being  but  very  little  game  in  that  place,  we  had  nothing  but  our 
meal  or  Indian  wheat  to  feed  on  ;  yet  we  discovered  a  kind  of  manna, 
which  was  a  great  help  to  us.  It  was  a  sort  of  trees,  resembling  our 
maple,  in  which  we  made  incisions,  whence  flowed  a  sweet  liquor, 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  191 

and  in  it  we  boiled  our  Indian  wheat,  which  made  it  delicious,  sweet, 
and  of  a  very  agreeable  relish. 

There  being  no  sugar-canes  in  that  country,  those  trees  supplied 
that  liquor,  which  being  boiled  up  and  evaporated,  turned  into  a 
kind  of  sugar  somewhat  brownish,  but  very  good.  In  the  woods  we 
found  a  sort  of  garlic,  not  so  strong  as  ours,  and  small  onions  very 
like  ours  in  taste,  and  some  charvel  of  the  same  relish  as  that  we 
have,  but  different  in  the  leaf. 

The  weather  being  somewhat  mended,  we  embarked  again,  and 
entered  upon  the  lake  on  the  5th  of  April,  keeping  to  the  north  side 
to  shun  the  Iroquois.  We  had  some  storms  also,  and  saw  swelling 
waves  like  those  of  the  sea  ;  but  arrived  safe  on  the  15th  at  a  river 
called  Quinetonan,  near  a  village,  whence  the  inhabitants  depart 
during  the  winter  season,  to  go  a  hunting,  and  reside  there  all  the 
summer. 

The  sport  is  not  there  as  in  those  countries  from  whence  we 
came  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  very  poor,  and  we  found  nothing  but 
some  very  lean  wild  goats,  and  even  those  very  rarely,  because  the 
wolves,  which  are  very  numerous  there,  make  a  great  havoc  of 
them,  taking  and  devouring  great  numbers  after  this  manner. 

When  the  wolves  have  discovered  a  herd  of  wild  goats,  they  rouse 
and  set  them  a  running.  The  wild  goats  never  fail  to  take  to  the 
first  lake  they  meet  with.  The  hunting  wolves,  who  are  used  to 
that,  guard  the  banks  carefully,  moving  along  the  edges  of  them. 
The  poor  goats  being  pierced  by  the  cold  of  the  lake,  grow  weary 
and  so  get  out,  or  else  the  river  swelling  forces  them  out  with  its 
waves,  quite  benumbed,  so  that  they  are  easily  taken  by  their  ene- 
mies, who  devour  them.  We  frequently  saw  those  wolves  watching 
along  the  side  of  the  lake,  and  kept  off  to  avoid  frightening  them,  to 
the  end  the  wild  goats  might  quit  their  sanctuary,  that  we  might 
catch  some  of  them,  as  it  sometimes  fell  out. 

The  28th,  we  arrived  among  the  Poutouatannis,  which  is  half 
way  to  Micilimaquinay,  where  we  purchased  some  Indian  corn  for 
the  rest  of  our  voyage.  We  found  no  news  there  from  Montreal, 
and  were  forced  to  stay  some  time  to  wait  an  opportunity  to  go  down 
the  river,  no  man  daring  to  venture,  because  of  the  war  with  the 
Iroquois. 

There  are  some  Frenchmen  in  that  place,  and  four  Jesuits,  who 
have  a  house  well  built  with  timber,  enclosed  with  stakes  and  pali- 
sades. There  are  also  some  Hurons  and  Outahouacs,  two  neighbor, 
ing  nations,  whom  those  fathers  take  care  to  instruct,  not  without 


192  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

very  much  trouble,  those  people  being  downright  libertines,  and 
there  arc  very  often  none  but  a  few  women  in  their  churches. 
Those  fathers  have  each  of  them  the  charge  of  instructing  a 
nation,  and  to  that  effect  have  translated  the  proper  prayers  into  the 
language  peculiar  to  each  of  them,  as  also  all  other  things  relating 
to  the  Catholic  faith  and  religion. 

They  offered  Father  Anastasius  and  M.  Cavelier  a  room,  which 
they  accepted  of,  and  we  took  up  our  lodging  in  a  little  hovel  some 
travellers  had  made.  There  we  continued  the  rest  of  May  and  part 
of  June,  till  after  the  feast  of  Whitsuntide.  The  natives  of  the 
country  about  till  the  land  and  sow  Indian,  corn,  melons  and  gourds, 
but  they  do  not  thrive  so  well  as  in  the  country  we  came  from. 
However,  they  live  on  them,  and  besides  they  have  fish  they  catch  in 
the  lake,  for  nYsh  is  very  scarce  among  them. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  there  arrived  four  canoes,  commanded  by  M. 
de  Porneuf.  coming  from  Montreal,  and  bringing  news  from  the 
Marquis  d'Hennonville,  and  orders  to  send  to  the  settlements  which 
were  towards  the  Lake  des  Fuans  and  others  higher  up,  towards  the 
source  of  the  river  Colbert,  to  know  the  posture  and  condition  of 
affairs.  We  prepared  to  be  gone  with  the  two  canoes.  M.  Cavelier 
bought  another,  to  carry  our  baggage,  and  left  part  of  his  furs  with 
a  merchant,  who  gave  him  a  note  to  receive  money  at  Montreal.  I 
did  the  same  with  those  few  furs  I  had,  the  rest  of  them  having  been 
left  at  Micilimaquinay. 

We  took  leave  of  the  Jesuits,  and  set  out  in  four  canoes,  vi/,.,  two 
belonuins  to  M.  de  Porneuf,  and  two  to  M.  Cavelier,  one  of  which 

~         O  '  ' 

had  been  brought  from  Fort  Louis,  and  the  other  bought  as  I  have 
just  now  said,  u-e  being  twenty-nine  of  us  in  those  four  canoes. 
We  rowed  on  till  the  tilth,  when  M.  de  Porneuf  left  us  t>  go  to  St. 
Mary's  Fall,  to  carry  the  orders  given  him.  The  'J.">th  we  got  out  of 
the  lakn  of  the,  Illinois,  to  enter  that  of  the  Ilurons,  on  the  banks 
whereof  stands  the.  village  called  Tcssalon,  where  M.  de  Porneuf 
came  again  to  us,  with  a  canoe  of  the  natives,  and  with  him  we  held 
on  our  way. 

We  proceeded  to  Chebonany  the  550th  of  June,  and  the  J'd  of 
July  entered  the  French  river,  where  we  were  forced  several  times 
to  carry  our  canoes  to  avoid  the  falls  and  tin;  rapid  streams,  observ- 
ing as  we  went  a  barren  and  dry  country,  full  of  rocks,  on  which 
grew  cedar  and  fir  trees,  which  take  root  in  the  clefts  of  those  rocks. 

The  ")th.  we  entered  upon  the  little  lake  of  Nipicingue,  adjoining 
to  a  nation  of  that  name.  We  got  out  of  it  again  and  entered  upuii 


JOUTEL'S  HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.  193 

the  great  river,  where,  after  having  passed  the  great  fall,  we  arrived  the 
13th  at  the  point  of  the  island  of  Montreal.  We  landed  at  a  village 
called  Lachine,  which  had  belonged  to  the  late  M.  de  la  Salle.  M. 
Cavelier  set  out  the  14th  for  Montreal,  where  we  came  to  him  the 
17th. 

At  Montreal  we  found  the  Marquis  d'Hennonville,  M.  de  Noroy 
the  Intendant,  and  other  gentlemen,  to  whom  we  gave  an  account  of 
our  long  and  painful  travels,  with  the  particulars  of  what  we  had 
seen,  which  they  listened  to  with  satisfaction,  but  without  mentioning 
M.  de  la  Salle's  death.  We  told  them  the  occasion  of  our  going 
over  into  France,  and  they  approved  of  it,  being  of  opinion  with  us 
that  we  ought  to  hasten  our  departure  as  much  as  possible. 

We  made  us  some  clothes,  whereof  we  stood  in  need.  The  Sieur 
Teissier,  who  came  along  with  us,  and  was  of  the  reformed  religion, 
knowing  the  exercise  of  it  was  forbid  in  France,  abjured  it  in  the 
great  church  of  Montreal. 

The  27th,  we  went  aboard  a  bark  to  go  down  the  river  to  Quebec, 
where  we  arrived  the  29th.  Father  Anastasius  carried  us  to  the 
monastery  of  the  fathers  of  his  order,  seated  half  a  league  from  the 
town,  on  a  little  river,  where  we  were  most  kindly  received  by  the 
father-guardian  and  the  other  religious  men,  who  expressed  much 
joy  to  see  us,  and  we  still  more  for  being  in  a  place  of  safety,  after 
so  many  perils  and  toils,  for  which  we  returned  our  humble  thanks  to 
Almighty  God,  our  protector. 

We  chose  rather  to  take  up  our  lodging  there  than  in  the  town,  to 
avoid  the  visits  and  troublesome  questions  every  one  would  be  put- 
ting to  us  with  much  importunity,  which  we  must  have  been  obliged 
to  bear  patiently.  M.  Cavelier  and  his  nephew,  whom  we  had  left 
at  Montreal,  arrived  some  days  after  us,  and  were  lodged  in  the 
Seminary. 

We  stayed  in  that  monastery  till  the  21st  of  August,  when  we  em- 
barked in  a  large  boat,  eighteen  persons  of  us,  to  go  down  the  river 
of  St.  Lawrence,  aboard  a  ship,  that  was  taking  in  and  fishing  of 
cod ;  we  went  aboard  it  the  30th  of  the  same  month,  and  after  hear- 
ing mass,  made  ready  and  sailed  for  our  dear  country  ;  arrived  safe 
at  Rochelle  on  Saturday,  the  9th  of  October,  1688,  whence  setting 
out  by  land,  the  15th,  the  same  Providence,  which  had  protected  and 
conducted  us,  brought  us  without  any  misfortune  to  Rouen,  the  7th 
of  October,  the  same  year. 

14 


ACCOUNT 

OF    THE 

DISCOVERY  OF  THE  RIVER  MISSISSIPPI, 

AND   THE    ADJACENT  COUNTRY, 
BY    FATHER    LOUIS    HENNEPIN.* 


FINDING  in  myself  a  strong  inclination  to  retire  from  the  world,  1 
entered  into  the  Franciscan  order,  where  I  was  overjoyed  in  reading 
the  travels  of  the  fathers  of  my  own  order,  who  were  indeed  the  first 
that  undertook  missions  into  any  foreign  country.  I  thought  nothing 
greater  or  more  glorious  than  to  instruct  the  ignorant  and  barbarous, 
and  lead  them  to  the  light  of  the  gospel.  In  order  to  which  I  went 

*  Louis  Hennepin,  the  discoverer  of  the  Upper  Mississippi,  was  born  in 
Flanders  about  the  year  161U.  He  entered  a  convent  of  the  order  of  St.  Fran- 
cis, and  afterwards,  with  the  permission  of  his  superior,  he  embarked  in  the 
same  vessel  that  brought  over  Robert  Cavelier  de  la  Salic  to  Canada,  in  1G75. 
He  was  some  time  employed  as  a  missionary  at  Fort  Fronteuac,  and  among  the 
Iroquois  Indians. 

In  one  of  his  excursions  he  visited  Albany,  then  called  New  Orange,  and 
other  frontier  settlements  of  New  York.  But  being  of  a  restless  disposition,  he 
did  not  stay  long  in  any  one  place.  In  10SO  he  accompanied  La  Salle  to  Illi- 
nois, from  whence  he  was  sent  by  him  to  explore  the  river  Mississippi  to  its 
source.  He  proceeded  as  far  as  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  and  went  from  thence 
by  land  to  the  river  St.  Francis,  which  he  named  in  honor  of  the  patron  saint  of 
his  order.  After  remaining  among  the  Indians  a  short  time  he  returned  to  Que- 
bec, having  been  absent  about  eight  months. 

In  ItiSl  he  returned  to  France,  and  published  a  work  entitled  "  Description 
de  la  Louisiane  nouvelleme.it  <_e,:oi.verte  au  sud-ouest  de  la  Nouvelle  France  : 
Paris,  ](iS3." 

Thirteen  years  after  he  disgraced  himself  by  publishing  at  Utrecht,  Holland, 
a  work  entitled,  "  Nouvelle  description  d'une  grand  Pays  siu.e  dans  L'Ame- 
rique  entre  le  Nouveau  Mexique  et  la  mer  Glaciale,"  17'J7;  the  most  part 
of  which  is  a  fabrication,  made  up  in  part  from  the  reports  of  other  travellers, 
and  embellished  with  the  romance  of  his  imagination. 

He  died  at  Utrecht,  shortly  after  the  publication  of  this  fictitious  work. 


196  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

missionary  for  Canada,  by  command  of  my  superiors;  and  embarked 
at  Rochelle,  in  company  of  M.  de  Laval,  since  bishop  of  Quebec,  the 
capital  city  of  Canada.  Our  crew  was  about  one  hundred  men,  to 
three- fourths  of  whom  I  administered  the  sacrament,  they  being  Ca- 
tholics. I  likewise  performed  divine  service  every  day  when  the 
weather  was  calm,  and  we  sung  the  Itinerary  of  the  clergy,  trans- 
lated into  French  verse,  after  evening  prayers. 

I  shall  omit  the  accidents  that  bcfel  us,  being  such  only  as  are  in- 
separable companions  of  all  great  voyages.  Soon  after  my  arrival, 
I  was  sent  in  mission  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  leagues  beyond 
Quebec,  accompanied  by  Father  Luke  Buisset.  We  went  up  the 
river  St.  Lawrence  southwards,  till  we  came  to  Fort  Frontenac,  dis- 
tant from  Quebec  one  hundred  leagues.  It  was  built  to  prevent  the 
excursions  of  the  Iroquois,  and  to  interrupt  the  trade  of  skins  these 
savages  maintain  with  the  inhabitants  of  New  York,  who  furnish 
them  with  commodities  at  cheaper  rates  than  the  French  of  Canada. 

The  Iroquois  are  an  insolent  and  barbarous  nation,  and  have  shed 
the  blood  of  more  than  two  millions  of  people  in  that  vast  extended 
country.  They  would  never  cease  from  disturbing  the  repose  of  the 
Europeans,  were  it  not  for  fear  of  their  firearms.  For  they  enter- 
tain no  commerce  with  them  unless  it  be  for  arms,  which  they  buy 
on  purpose  to  use  against  their  neighbors ;  and  by  means  of  which 
they  have  extended  their  bloody  conquests  five  or  six  hundred 
leagues  beyond  their  own  precincts,  exterminating  whatever  nation 
they  hate. 

I  had.  already  acquired  some  small  knowledge  of  the  Iroquois 
language  ;  and  Father  Luke  and  I  translated  the  Creed,  Lord's 
Prayer,  and  Litany,  which  we  caused  them  to  get  by  heart,  and  re- 
peat to  their  children.  They  pronounce  no  labial  letters,  such  as  B, 
P,  M,  F.  Here  we  remained  two  years  and  a  half,  till  we  saw  our 
house  of  mission  finished,  and  then  returned  in  a  canoe  down  the 
river  St.  Lawrence  to  Quebec. 

Having  tarried  there  till  those  who  were  expected  from  Europe  to 
bear  part  in  this  discovery  were  arrived,  I  embarked  in  a  small  canoe, 
made  of  the  bark  of  birch  trees,  carrying  nothing  with  me  but  a 
portable  chapel,  one  blanket,  and  a  mat  of  rushes,  which  was  to 
serve  me  for  bed  and  quilt.  I  arrived  at  Fort  Frontenac  the  2d 
of  November,  1078,  and  on  the  18th  embarked  in  a  brigantine  of 
about  ten  tons  arid  fifteen  men,  the  Sieur  de  la  Motte,  commander. 
We  sailed  on  till  we  came  to  the  further  end  of  the  Lake  Ontario, 
and  on  the  6th  of  January  entered  the  River  Niagara,  where  we  set 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  197 

our  carpenters  and  the  rest  of  the  crew  to  work  in  building  a  fort 
and  some  houses;  but  foreseeing  that  this  was  like  to  give  jealousy 
to  the  Iroquois,  and  to  the  English  who  dwell  near  them,  and  have  a 
great  commerce  with  them,  we  told  those  of  the  village  of  Niagara 
that  we  did  not  intend  to  build  a  fort  on  the  bank  of  their  river,  but 
only  a  great  store-house  to  keep  the  commodities  we  had  brought  to 
supply  their  occasions.  And  to  remove  their  suspicions  M.  de  la 
Motte  thought  it  absolutely  necessary  to  send  an  embassy  to  the  Iro- 
quois ;  telling  me,  "He  was  resolved  to  take  along  with  him  seven 
men  out  of  sixteen  that  we  were  in  all,  and  desired  me  to  accompany 
him,  because  I  understood  in  a  manner  the  language  of  their  nation." 
We  passed  through  forests  thirty-two  leagues,  and  after  five  days' 
journey  came  to  a  great  village,  and  were  immediately  carried  to  the 
cabin  of  their  principal.  The  younger  savages  washed  our  feet, 
and  rubbed  them  over  with  the  grease  of  deer,  wild  goats,  and  oil  of 
bears.  They  are  for  the  most  part  tall  and  well  shaped,  covered 
with  a  sort  of  robe  made  of  beavers'  and  wolves'  skins,  or  black 
squirrels,  holding  a  pipe  or  calumet  in  their  hands.  The  senators 
of  Venice  do  not  appear  with  a  graver  countenance,  and  perhaps 
do  not  speak  with  more  majesty  and  solidify  than  those  ancient  Iro- 
quois. 

One  of  our  men  who  well  understood  their  language,  told  the  as- 
sembly, 

1.  That  we  were  come  to  pay  them  a  visit,  and  smoke  with  them 
in  their  pipes.     Then  we  delivered  our  presents,  consisting  of  axes, 
knives,  a  great  collar  of  white  and  blue  porcelain,  with  some  gowns. 
The  same  presents  were  renewed  upon  every  point  we  proposed  to 
them. 

2.  We  desired  them  to  give  notice  to  the  five  cantons  of  their  na- 
tion, that  we  were  about  to  build   a  ship  or  great  canoe  above  the 
great  fall  of  the  river  Niagara,  to  go  and  fetch  European  commodi- 
ties by  a  more  convenient  passage  than  that  of  the  river  St.  Law- 
rence, whose  rapid  currents  make  it  dangerous  and  long.     And  that 
by  these  means  we  should  afford  them  our  commodities  cheaper  than 
the  English  of  Boston,  or  the  Dutch,  at  that  time  masters  of  New 
York.     This  pretence  was  specious  enough,  and  very  well  contrived 
to  engage  the  barbarous  nation  to  extirpate  the  English  and  Dutch 
out  of  that  part  of  America. 

3.  Vve  told    them    that   we   should    provide    them,   at    the    river 
Niagara,  with  a  blacksmith  and  gunsmith  to  mend  their  guns,  axes, 
dec.,  they  having  nobody  among  them  that  understood  that  trade- 


108  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

We  added  many  other  reasons  which  we  thought  proper  to  persuade 
them  to  favor  our  design.  The  presents  we  made  unto  them  in  cloth 
or  iron,  were  worth  above  four  hundred  livres,  besides  some  other 
European  commodities,  very  scarce  in  that  country  ;  for  the  best 
reasons  in  the  world  are  not  listened  to  among  them,  unless  they  are 
enforced  with  presents. 

The  next  day  their  speaker  answered  our  discourse  article  by 
article,  seeming  to  be  pleased  with  our  proposals,  though  they  were 
not  really  so,  having  a  greater  inclination  for  the  English  and  Dutch 
than  fur  us.  Whilst  we  were  with  them,  their  parties  had  made  an 
excursion  towards  Virginia,  and  brought  two  prisoners.  They  spared 
the  life  of  one.  but  put  to  death  the  other  with  most  exquisite 
torments.  They  commonly  use  this  inhumanity  towards  all  their 
prisoners,  and  their  torments  sometimes  last  a  month.  When  they 
have  brought  them  into  their  canton,  they  lay  them  on  pieces  of 
wood,  like  a  St.  Andrew's  cross,  to  which  they  tie  their  legs  and 
arms,  and  expose  them  to  gnats  and  Hies,  who  sting  them  to  death. 
Children  cut  pieces  of  flesh  out  of  their  flanks,  thighs,  or  other  parts, 
and  boiling  them,  force  those  poor  souls  to  eat  thereof.  Their 
parents  cat  some  themselves,  and  the  better  to  inspire  into  their 
children  a  hatred  of  their  enemies,  give  them  some  of  their  blood  to 
drink.  This  cruelty  obliged  us  to  leave  them  sooner  than  we  would 
have  done,  to  show  them  the  horror  we  had  of  their  inhumanity,  and 
never  ate  with  them  afterwards  ;  but  returned  the  same  way  we 
went,  through  the  woods  to  the  river  Niagara,  where  we  arrived  the 
14th  of  January,  much  fatigued  with  our  voyage,  having  no  food  on 
the  way  but  Indian  corn.  M.  de  la  Motte,  no  longer  able  to  endure 
so  laborious  a  life,  gave  over  his  design,  and  returned  to  Canada, 
having  about  two  hundred  leagues  to  travel. 

On  the  'JUth,  M.  de  la  Salle  arrived  from  Fort  Frontenac,  with  a 
great  bark  to  supply  us  with  provisions,  rigging,  and  tackling  for  the 
ship  we  designed  to  build  at  the  mouth  of  the  lake  Krie;  but  that 
bark  was  unfortunately  east  a\vay  on  the  lake  Ontario,  within  two 
leagues  of  Niagara.  On  tin?  'JxJd.  we  went  t\vo  leagues  above  the 
great  full  of  Niagara,  where  we  made  a  dock  for  building  the  ship. 
M.  de  la  Salle  returned  to  Fort  Frontenac.  leaving  one  Tonti,  an 
Italian,  for  our  commander.  He  undertook  this  journey  afoot,  over 
the  snow,  having  no  other  provision  but  a  little  sack  of  roasted 
Indian  corn.  ]  lowever,  he  got  home  safely  with  two  men  and  a  dog. 
who  dragged  his  baggage  over  the  fro/.en  snow. 

Must  of  the  Iroijuois  were  now  gone  to  wage  war  on  the  other  side 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  199 

the  lake  Erie,  and  our  men  continued,  with  great  application,  to 
build  our  ship  ;  for  the  Troquois,  who  were  left  behind,  were  not  so 
insolent  as  before,  though  they  came  sometimes  to  our  dock,  and 
expressed  some  discontent  at  what  we  were  doing. 

We  made  all  the  haste  we  could  to  get  our  ship  afloat,  though  not 
altogether  finished,  to  prevent  their  designs  of  burning  it.  She  was 
called  the  Griffin,  about  sixty  tons,  and  carried  five  small  guns.  We 
fired  three  guns,  and  sung  Te  Deum  ;  and  carrying  our  hammocks 
aboard,  the  same  day  were  out  of  the  reach  of  the  savages. 

Before  we  could  proceed  in  our  intended  discovery,  I  was  obliged 
to  return  to  Fort  Frontenac,  to  bring  along  with  me  two  monks  of 
my  own  order,  to  help  me  in  the  function  of  my  ministry.  I 
concealed  part  of  the  discouragements  I  had  met  with,  because  I 
designed  to  engage  Father  Gabriel  and  Zenobe  in  our  voyage. 
Having  despatched  our  affairs,  we  three  went  aboard  a  brigantine, 
and  in  a  short  time  arrived  at  the  river  which  runs  into  the  lake 
Ontario,  where  we  continued  several  days,  our  men  being  very  busy 
in  bartering  their  commodities  with  the  natives,  who  exchanged  their 
skins  for  knives,  guns,  powder  and  shot,  but  especially  brandy, 
which  they  love  above  all  things.  M.  de  la  Salle  arrived  in  a 
canoe  eight  days  after.  These  impediments  retarded  us  so  long 
that  we  could  not  reach  the  river  Niagara  before  the  30th  of  July. 
Father  Gabriel  and  I  went  overland  to  view  the  great  fall,  the  like 
whereof  is  not  in  the  whole  world.  It  is  compounded  of  two  great 
cross  streams  of  water,  and  two  falls,  with  an  isle  sloping  along  the 
middle  of  it.  The  waters  which  fall  from  this  vast  height  do  foam 
and  boil  after  the  most  hideous  manner  imaginable,  making  an 
outrageous  noise,  more  terrible  than  that  of  thunder  ;  so  that  when 
the  wind  blows  from  the  south,  their  dismal  roaring  may  be  heard 
above  fifteen  leagues  ofF. 

The  river  Niagara  having  thrown  itself  down  this  incredible 
precipice,  continues  its  impetuous  course  for  two  leagues  with  an 
inexpressible  rapidity  ;  and  the  brinks  are  so  prodigious  high,  that  it 
makes  one  tremble  to  look  steadily  on  the  water,  rolling  along  with 
a  rapidity  not  to  be  imagined.  It  is  so  rapid  above  the  descent,  that 
it  violently  hurries  down  the  wild  beasts,  endeavoring  to  pass  it  to 
feed  on  the  other  side,  casting  them  down  headlong  above  six  hundred 
feet.  A  bark  or  greater  vessel  may  pass  from  Fort  Frontenac  until 
vou  come  within  two  leagues  of  the  fall,  for  which  two  leagues  the 
people  are  obliged  to  carry  their  goods  overland  ;  but  the  way  is 
very  good,  and  the  trees  are  but  few,  and  they  chiefly  firs  and  oaks- 


200  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

Were  it  not  for  this  vast  cataract  which  interrupts  navigation,  we 
might  sail  with  barks  or  greater  vessels  above  four  hundred  and  fifty 
leagues  further. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  we  went  on  board,  being  in  all  thirty-four 
men,  and  sailed  from  the  mouth  of  the  lake  Erie,  and  on  the  llth, 
entered  a  strait  thirty  leagues  long  and  one  broad,  except  in  the 
middle,  which  makes  the  lake  of  St.  Clair.  On  the  23d,  we  got 
into  the  lake  Huron.  The  26th,  we  had  so  violent  a  storm  that 
we  brought  down  our  yards  and  topmasts,  and  let  the  ship  drive  at 
the  mercy  of  the  wind,  knowing  no  place  to  run  into  to  shelter 
ourselves.  M.  de  la  Salle,  notwithstanding  he  was  a  courageous 
man,  began  to  fear,  and  told  us  we  were  undone ;  whereupon  every- 
body fell  on  his  knees  to  say  his  prayers  and  prepare  himself  for 
death,  except  our  pilot,  whom  we  could  never  oblige  to  pray  ;  and  he 
did  nothing  all  that  while  but  curse  and  swear  against  M.  de  la  Salle, 
who  had  brought  him  thither  to  make  him  perish  in  a  nasty  lake,  and 
lose  the  glory  he  had  acquired  by  his  long  and  happy  navigations  on 
the  ocean.  When  the  wind  abated  we  hoisted  our  sail,  and  the  next 
day  arrived  at  Missilimakinak. 

On  the  2d  of  September,  we  weighed  anchor,  and  sailed  to  an 
island  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay  of  Puans,  forty  leagues  from  Missili- 
makinak. The  chief  among  them,  who  had  been  formerly  in 
Canada,  received  us  with  all  the  civility  imaginable.  M.  de  la 
Salic,  without  asking  any  other  body's  advice,  resolved  to  send  back 
the  ship  to  Niagara,  laden  with  furs  and  skins,  to  discharge  his 
debts.  Our  pilot,  and  five  men  with  him,  were  therefore  sent  back, 
and  ordered  to  return  with  all  imaginable  speed  to  join  us  towards 
the  southern  parts  of  the  lake,  where  we  should  stay  for  them  among 
the  Illinois.  They  sailed  the  18th,  with  a  westerly  wind,  and  fired 
a  gun  as  taking  leave.  It  was  never  known  what  course  they 
steered,  nor  how  they  perished  ;  but  it  is  supposed  that  the  ship 
struck  upon  a  sand,  and  was  there  buried.  This  was  a  great  loss 
for  M.  de  la  Salle  and  other  adventurers,  for  that  ship  vvitli  its  cargo 
cost  above  sixty  thousand  livres. 

We  continued  our  voyage  in  four  canoes,  being  fourteen  men  in 
all,  arid  departed  the  19th  of  September.  WTe  steered  to  the  south 
towards  the  continent,  distant  from  the  island  near  forty  leagues. 
On  the  1st  of  October,  after  twelve  leagues  rowing,  we  were  in  so 
great  danger  by  stress  of  weather,  that  we  were  forced  to  throw  our- 
selves into  the  water,  and  carry  our  canoes  on  our  shoulders  to  save 
them  from  being  broken  to  pieces.  I  carried  Father  Gabriel  on  my 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  201 

back,  whose  great  age,  being  sixty-five  years,  did  not  permit  him  to 
venture  into  the  water. 

Having  no  acquaintance  with  the  savages  of  the  village  near 
which  we  landed,  we  prepared  to  make  a  vigorous  defence  in  case 
of  an  attack,  and  in  order  to  it,  possessed  ourselves  of  a  rising  ground 
where  we  could  not  be  surprised.  We  then  sent  three  men  to  buy 
provisions  in  the  village,  with  the  calumet  or  pipe  of  peace,  which 
those  of  the  island  had  given  us.  And  because  the  calumet  of  peace 
is  the  most  sacred  thing  among  the  savages,  I  shall  here  describe  the 
same. 

It  is  a  large  tobacco  pipe,  of  a  red,  black,  or  white  marble.  The 
head  is  finely  polished.  The  quill,  which  is  commonly  two  feet  and 
a  half  long,  is  made  of  a  pretty  strong  reed  or  cane,  adorned  with 
feathers  of  all  colors,  interlaced  with  locks  of  women's  hair.  Every 
nation  adorns  it  as  they  think  fit,  and  according  to  the  birds  they 
have  in  their  country. 

Such  a  pipe  is  a  safe-conduct  amongst  all  the  allies  of  the  nation 
who  has  given  it ;  and  in  all  embassies  the  calumet  is  carried  as  a 
symbol  of  peace,  the  savages  being  generally  persuaded  that 
some  great  misfortune  would  befal  them,  if  they  should  violate  the 
public  faith  of  the  calumet.  They  fill  this  pipe  with  the  best 
tobacco  they  have,  and  then  present  it  to  those  with  whom  they  have 
concluded  any  great  affair,  and  smoke  out  of  the  same  after  them. 

Our  three  men,  provided  with  this  pipe  and  very  well  armed,  went 
to  the  little  village  three  leagues  from  the  place  where  we  landed  ; 
but  finding  nobody  therein,  took  some  Indian  corn,  and  left  instead 
of  it  some  goods,  to  let  them  see  that  we  were  no  robbers  nor  their 
enemies.  However,  twenty  of  them  armed  with  axes,  small  guns, 
bows,  and  clubs,  advanced  near  the  place  where  we  stood  ;  where- 
upon  M.  de  la  Salle  with  four  men  very  well  armed,  went  toward 
them  to  speak  with  them,  and  desired  them  to  come  near  us,  for  fear 
a  party  of  our  men  who  were  gone  a  hunting,  should  meet  with 
them  and  kill  them.  They  sat  down  at  the  foot  of  the  eminence 
where  we  were  posted,  and  M.  de  la  Salle  spoke  to  them  all  the 
while  concerning  his  voyage,  which  he  told  them  he  had  undertaken 
for  their  good  and  advantage.  This  was  only  to  amuse  them  till  our 
three  men  returned,  who  appearing  with  the  calumet  of  peace,  the 
savages  made  a  great  shout,  and  rose  and  began  to  dance.  We  ex- 
cused our  taking  some  of  their  corn,  telling  them  we  had  left  the 
true  value  of  it  in  goods  ;  which  they  took  so  well  that  they  sent 
immediately  for  more,  and  gave  us  next  day  as  much  as  we  could 


202  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

carry  away  in  our  canoes.  They  retired  towards  evening,  and  M. 
de  la  Salle  ordered  some  trees  to  be  cut  down  and  laid  across  the 
way,  to  prevent  any  surprise  from  them.  The  oldest  of  them  came 
to  us  next  morning  with  their  calumet  of  peace,  and  brought  us 
some  wild  goats.  We  presented  them  with  some  axes,  knives,  and 
several  little  toys  for  their  wives,  with  which  they  were  well  pleased. 

We  left  that  place  the  2d  of  October,  and  coasted  along  the 
lake,  which  is  so  steep  that  we  could  hardly  find  any  place  to  land. 
The  violence  of  the  wind  obliged  us  to  drag  our  canoes  sometimes 
to  the  top  of  the  rocks  to  prevent  their  being  dashed  in  pieces.  The 
stormy  weather  lasted  four  days,  during  which  we  suffered  very 
much,  and  our  provisions  failed  us  again  ;  which,  with  the  fatigues 
of  rowing,  caused  old  Father  Gabriel  to  faint  away  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  I  thought  verily  he  could  not  live.  We  had  no  other  sub- 
sistence but  a  handful  of  Indian  corn  once  every  twenty-four  hours, 
which  we  roasted  or  else  boiled  in  water;  and  yet  rowed  almost 
every  day  from  morning  till  night.  Being  in  this  dismal  distress,  we 
saw  upon  the  coast  a  great  many  ravens  and  eagles,  from  whence 
we  conjectured  there  was  some  prey  ;  and  having  landed  upon  that 
place,  we  found  above  the  half  of  a  fat  wild  goat  which  the  wolves 
had  strangled.  This  provision  was  very  acceptable  to  us,  and  the 
rudest  of  our  men  could  not  but  praise  the  divine  Providence  who 
took  so  particular  a  care  of  us. 

Having  thus  refreshed  ourselves,  we  continued  our  voyage  directly 
to  the  southern  parts  of  the  lake.  On  the  Kith,  we  met  with 
abundance  of  game.  A  savage  we  had  with  us  killed  several  slags 
and  wild  goats,  and  our  men  a  great  many  turkeys,  very  fat  and 
big;  wherewith  we  provided  ourselves  for  several  days,  and  so  em- 
barked again.  On  the  1st  of  November  we  came  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river  of  the  Miamis,  which  runs  from  the  south  and  falls  into  the 
lake.  Here  we  spent  all  that  month  in  building  a  fort  forty  feet 
lonir,  and  eighty  broad  ;  made  with  great  square  pieces  of  timber 
laid  one  upon  the  other. 

On  the  :M  of  December  we  embarked,  being  thirty-three  men.  in 
eight  canoes,  and  having  rowed  about  twenty-live  leagues  up  the 
river  Miamis  to  the  southwest,  we  could  not  iind  the  place  where  we 
were  to  land,  and  carry  our  canoes  and  equipage  into  the  river  of 
the  Illinois,  which  fails  into  Mississippi.  Our  savage,  who  was  hunt- 
in"'  ashore,  not  findiii"  us  at  the  place  of  portage,  came  higher  up 

O  D  1  I  O      '  *-- 

the  river,  and  told  us  we  had  missed  it.  So  we  returned  and  car- 
ried our  canoes  over  land  to  the  head  of  the  Illinois  river,  which  is 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  203 

but  a  league  and  a  half  from  that  of  Miamis.  We  continued  our 
course  upon  this  river  very  near  the  whole  month  of  December,  to- 
wards the  end  of  which  we  arrived  at  the  village  of  the  Illinois, 
about,  one  hundred  and  thirty  leagues  from  Fort  Miamis.  We  found 
nobody  in  the  village,  which  caused  a  great  perplexity  among  us  ; 
for  though  we  wanted  provisions,  yet  we  durst  not  meddle  with  the 
corn  they  had  laid  under  ground  for  their  subsistence,  and  to  sow 
their  lands  with ;  it  being  the  most  sensible  wrong  one  can  do  them, 
in  their  opinion,  to  take  some  of  their  corn  in  their  absence.  How- 
ever, our  necessity  being  very  great,  and  it  being  impossible  to  con- 
tinue our  voyage  without  it,  M.  de  la  Salle  took  about  forty  bushels 
of  it,  hoping  to  appease  them  with  some  presents. 

We  embarked  again  with  this  fresh  provision,  and  fell  down  the 
river  the  first  of  January,  1680.  We  took  the  elevation  of  the  pole, 
•which  was  33°  457.  Although  we  used  all  the  precaution  we  could. 
we  found  ourselves  on  a  sudden  in  the  middle  of  their  camp,  which 
took  up  both  sides  of  the  river.  The  Illinois  being  much  terrified, 
though  they  were  several  thousand  men,  tendered  us  the  calumet  of 
peace,  and  we  offered  them  ours.  M.  de  la  Salle  presented  them 
witli  Martinico  tobacco,  and  some  axes.  He  told  them,  "  He  knew 
how  necessary  their  corn  was  to  them  ;  but  that  being  reduced  to  an 
unspeakable  necessity  when  he  came  to  their  village,  and  seeing  no 
probability  to  subsist,  he  had  been  forced  to  take  some  corn  from 
their  habitations  without  their  leave.  That  he  would  give  them 
axes  and  other  things  in  lieu  of  it,  if  they  could  spare  it ;  and  if 
they  could  not,  they  were  free  to  take  it  again."  The  savages 
considered  our  proposals,  granted  our  demands,  and  made  an  alliance 
with  us. 

Some  days  after,  Nikanape,  brother  to  the  most  considerable  man 
among  them,  who  was  then  absent,  invited  us  to  a  great  feast,  and 
before  we  sat  down,  told  us,  "  That  he  had  invited  us  not  so  much 
to  give  us  a  treat,  as  to  endeavor  to  dissuade  us  from  the  resolution 
we  had  taken  to  go  clown  to  the  sea  by  the  great  River  Mississippi.''' 
He  said,  "  That  the  banks  of  that  river  were  inhabited  by  barbarous 
and  bloody  nations,  and  that  several  had  perished  upon  the  same  en- 
terprise." Our  interpreter  told  him,  by  order  of  M.  de  la  Salle, 
"  That  we  were  much  obliged  to  him  for  his  advice  ;  but  the  diffi- 
culties and  dangers  he  had  mentioned  would  make  our  enterprise 
still  more  glorious.  That  we  feared  the  Master  of  the  life  of  all 
men,  who  ruled  the  sea  and  all  the  world,  and  therefore  would  think 
it  happiness  to  lay  down  our  lives  to  make  his  name  known  to  all  his 


204  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

creatures."  However,  Nikanape's  discourse  had  put  some  of  our 
men  under  such  terrible  apprehensions,  that  we  could  never  recover 
their  courage  nor  remove  their  fears  ;  so  that  six  of  them  who  had 
the  guard  that  night  (among  which  were  two  sawyers,  the  most  ne- 
cessary of  our  workmen  for  huilding  our  ship),  ran  away,  taking 
with  them  what  they  thought  necessary.  But  considering  the  coun- 
try through  which  they  were  to  travel,  and  the  season  of  the  year, 
we  may  say,  that  in  avoiding  an  uncertainty,  they  exposed  them- 
selves to  a  most  certain  danger. 

M.  de  la  Salle  seeing  those  six  men  were  gone,  exhorted  the  rest 
to  continue  firm  in  their  duty  ;  assuring  them  that  if  any  were  afraid 
of  venturing  themselves  upon  the  river  of  Mississippi,  because  of 
the  dangers  Nikanape  had  mentioned,  he  would  give  them  leave  to 
return  next  spring  to  Canada,  and  allow  them  a  canoe  to  make  their 
voyage  ;  whereas  they  could  not  venture  to  return  home  at  this  time 
of  the  year,  without  exposing  themselves  to  perish  with  hunger,  cold, 
or  the  hands  of  the  savages. 

On  the  15th,  we  made  choice  of  an  eminence  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  defended  on  that  side  by  the  river,  and  on  two  others  by  two 
deep  ditches  made  by  the  rains,  so  that  it  was  accessible  only  by  one 
way.  We  cast  a  line  to  join  those  two  natural  ditches,  and  made 
the  eminence  steep  on  every  side,  supporting  the  earth  with  great 
pieces  of  timber.  By  the  first  of  March,  our  fort  was  near  finished, 
and  we  named  it  Crevecceur,  because  the  desertion  of  our  men,  with 
the  difficulties  we  labored  under,  had  almost  broken  our  hearts.  We 
had  also  built  a  bark  for  the  continuance  of  our  discovery.  It  was 
forty-two  feet  long  by  the  keel,  and  was  in  such  forwardness,  that 
we  should  have  been  in  a  condition  to  sail  in  a  very  short  time,  had 
we  been  provided  with  all  other  necessaries.  But  hearing  nothing 
of  our  ship  Griffin,  and  therefore  wanting  the  rigging  and  other 
tackle  we  expected  by  her.  we  found  ourselves  in  great  perplexity, 
and  did  not  know  what  to  do  in  this  sad  juncture,  being  above  five 
hundred  leagues  from  Fort  Frontenac,  whither  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  return  at  that  time,  because  the  snow  made  travelling 
very  dangerous  by  land,  and  the  ice  made  it  impracticable  to  our 
canoes. 

M.  de  la  Salle  did  now  no  longer  doubt  but  his  beloved  Griffin 
was  lost ;  but  neither  this  nor  the  other  difficulties  dejected  him. 
His  great  courage  buoyed  him  up,  and  he  resolved  with  three  men 
to  return  to  Fort  Frontenac  by  land,  notwithstanding  the  snow  and 
the  unspeakable  dangers  attending  so  great  a  journey,  and  to  bring 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  205 

along  with  him  the  necessary  things  to  proceed  on  our  discovery  ; 
while  I  with  two  men  should  go  in  a  canoe  to  the  River  Mississippi, 
to  get  the  friendship  of  the  nations  inhabiting  the  banks  thereof. 
Then  calling  his  men  together,  told  them,  "  He  would  leave  M. 
Tonti  to  command  in  the  fort,  and  desired  them  to  obey  his  orders 
in  his  absence,  to  live  in  a  Christian  union  and  chanty,  to  be  coura- 
geous and  firm  in  their  design."  He  assured  them,  "  He  would 
return  with  all  the  speed  imaginable,  and  bring  with  him  a  fresh 
supply  of  meat,  ammunition,  and  rigging  for  our  bark  ;  and  that  in 
the  meantime  he  left  them  arms  and  other  things  necessary  for  a 
vigorous  defence,  in  case  their  enemies  should  attack  them  before  his 
return." 

Then  telling  me,  "  That  he  expected  I  should  depart  without  further 
delay,"  he  embraced  me  and  gave  me  a  calumet  of  peace,  with  two 
men  to  manage  our  canoe,  Picard  and  Ako,  to  whom  he  gave  some 
commodities  to  the  value  of  about  one  thousand  livres,  to  trade  with 
the  savages  or  make  presents.  He  gave  to  me  in  particular,  and 
for  my  own  use,  ten  knives,  twelve  shoemaker's  awls  or  bodkins,  a 
small  roll  of  Martinico  tobacco,  two  pounds  of  rassade,  i.  e.  little 
pearls  or  rings  of  colored  glass,  to  make  bracelets  for  the  savages, 
and  a  small  parcel  of  needles ;  telling  me,  "He  would  have  given 
me  a  greater  quantity  if  it  had  been  in  his  power." 

Thus  relying  on  the  providence  of  God,  and  receiving  the  blessing 
of  Father  Gabriel,  I  embraced  all  our  men,  and  took  my  leave  of 
M.  de  la  Salle,  who  set  out  a  few  days  after  for  Canada,  with  three 
men,  without  any  provisions  but  what  they  killed  in  their  journey, 
during  which  they  suffered  very  much  by  cold  weather,  snow,  and 
hunger. 

We  set  out  from  Fort  Crevecceur  on  the  29th  of  February,  myself. 
Picard  and  Ako,  and  when  we  had  gone  fifty  leagues  down  the  river, 
we  came  to  the  place  where  it  falls  into  the  Mississippi,  between 
thirty-five  and  thirty-six  degrees  of  latitude.  The  Mississippi  runs 
to  the  south-southwest,  between  two  ridges  of  mountains,  is  in  some 
places  a  league  broad,  and  a  half  a  league  where  it  is  narrowest. 
The  ice  which  came  down  stopt  us  here  till  the  12th  of  March. 
Then  after  prayers  we  embarked,  and  continuing  our  course  down 
the  river,  we  discovered  three  savages  on  the  15th,  and  landing, 
marched  up  to  them ;  whereupon  they  ran  away.  But  after  some 
signs,  one  returned,  and  presented  us  the  calumet  of  peace,  which, 
when  we  had  received,  the  two  others  came  back.  We  could  not 
understand  one  word  of  their  language ;  and  when  we  named  two  or 


206  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

three  different  nations  to  them,  one  answered  three  times,  Chiquacha. 
They  gave  us  some  pelicans  they  had  killed  with  their  arrows,  and 
we  presented  them  with  part  of  our  meat.  Two  days  after,  we  saw 
many  savages  near  the  river,  crying  aloud,  Sasacouest,  that  is,  Who 
goes  there?  as  I  have  heen  informed.  They  sent  a  pirogue  or 
heavy  wooden  canoe  towards  us,  wherein  were  the  three  savages  we 
had  met  two  days  before.  We  presented  our  calumet  of  peace, 
which  they  received,  but  gave  us  to  understand  by  signs,  that  we 
must  go  to  the  Akansa,  pointing  to  the  savages  ashore.  We  could 
not  avoid  it ;  and  as  soon  as  we  were  landed,  the  three  Chiquachas 
took  our  canoe  upon  their  shoulders,  and  carried  it  to  the  village. 
These  savages  received  us  very  kindly,  and  presented  us  with  beans, 
Indian  corn,  and  flesh  to  eat.  We  made  them  also  a  present  of  some 
of  our  European  commodities,  which  they  admired,  putting  their 
fingers  upon  their  mouths,  especially  when  they  saw  our  guns.  The 
18th  we  embarked  again,  after  having  been  entertained  with  danc- 
ing and  feasting,  and  carried  away  our  commodities,  though  the 
savages  were  very  loth  to  part  with  them  ;  but  having  accepted  our 
calumet  of  peace,  they  did  not  presume  to  stop  us  by  force. 

We  passed  by  the  nations  of  Taensa  and  Coroa,  by  both  which  we 
were  kindly  received,  and  on  the  24th  came  to  the  nation  of  Quini- 
(juissa.  The  next  day  wre  came  to  a  point  where  the  Mississippi 
divides  itself  into  three  channels.  We  took  the  middle  one,  which 
is  very  broad  and  deep.  The  water  began  there  to  taste  brackish, 
but  four  leagues  lower  was  as  salt  as  the  sea.  We  rowed  about 
four  leagues  further,  and  discovered  the  sea.  The  mouth  of  the  river 
is  very  deep,  without  being  interrupted  with  any  sands  ;  so  that  great 
ships  may  go  up  as  far  as  the  Illinois  river,  which  is  two  hundred 
leagues.  Its  course,  from  its  source  to  the  sea,  may  be  eight  hun- 
dred leagues,  including  windings  and  turnings.  It  falls  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  between  twenty-seven  and  twenty-eight  degrees  of 
latitude.  Its  mouth  may  be  about  thirty  leagues  from  llio  Bravo, 
sixtv  from  Palmas,  and  eighty  or  one  hundred  from  Rio  Panuco,  the 
nearest  habitation  of  the  Spaniards. 

My  two  men  were  very  glad  of  this  discovery  ;  but  on  the  other 
hand  they  expressed  a  great  deal  of  dissatisfaction  to  have  been  at 
such  trouble  without  making  any  profit,  having  found  no  furs  to  ex- 
change for  their  commodities.  They  were  also  much  afraid  of  the 
Spaniards  of  Now  .Mexico,  and  were  perpetually  telling  me.  "  That 
if  they  were  taken,  the  Spaniards  would  never  spare  their  lives,  or 
at  least  give  them  the  liberty  to  return  to  Europe."  I  knew  their 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    KIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  207 

fears  were  not  altogether  unreasonable ;  and  therefore  I  resolved 
to  go  no  further,  though  I  had  no  reason  to  be  afraid  for  myself,  our 
order  being  so  numerous  in  New  Mexico,  that,  on  the  contrary,  I 
might  expect  to  have  had  in  that  country  a  peaceable  and  easy 
life. 

We  lay,  during  the  time  we  were  ashore,  under  our  canoe,  sup- 
ported with  four  forks,  and  made  curtains  of  some  rolls  of  birch  bark, 
hanging  from  the  top  to  the  ground,  to  defend  us  from  the  rain.  We 
saw  nobody,  and  therefore  cannot  tell  whether  that  coast  be  inhabited. 
WTe  squared  a  tree  of  twelve  feet  high,  and  making  a  cross  of  it, 
erected  it  in  that  place,  leaving  there  a  letter  signed  by  me  and  my 
two  men,  containing  an  account  of  our  voyage,  country,  and  profes- 
sion. Then  kneeling  near  the  cross,  we  sung  some  hymns,  and  em- 
barked again  on  the  1st  of  April,  to  return  towards  the  source  of  the 
river. 

It  is  observable,  that  during  the  whole  course  of  our  sailing,  God 
protected  us  against  the  crocodiles,  which  are  very  numerous  in  that 
river,  especially  towards  the  mouth.  They  looked  dreadful,  and 
would  have  attacked  us,  had  we  not  been  very  careful  to  avoid 
them. 

Our  canoe  being  loaded  with  three  men  only  and  our  provisions, 
did  not  draw  three  inches  water,  and  therefore  we  could  row  very 
near  the  shore,  and  avoid  the  current  of  the  river.  The  next  day, 
April  2d,  we  saw,  towards  break  of  day,  a  great  smoke  not  far  from 
us,  and  soon  after  discovered  four  savage  women  loaded  with  wood, 
marching  as  fast  as  they  could  to  get  to  their  village  before  us.  But 
some  buzzards  coming  near  us,  one  of  my  men  could  not  forbear  to 
shoot  at  them,  which  so  frightened  the  women  that  they  left  their 
wood,  and  ran  away  to  their  village,  where  they  arrived  before  us. 
The  savages  having  heard  the  noise,  were  in  as  great  fear  as  their 
wives,  and  left  their  village  upon  our  approach.  But  I  landing,  im- 
mediately advaneed  alone  with  the  calumet  of  peace,  whereupon 
they  returned,  and  received  us  with  all  the  respect  and  civility  ima- 
ginable. We  made  them  some  small  presents  to  show  our  gratitude, 
and  left  that  place  April  the  4th,  and  rowed  with  such  diligence  that 
we  arrived  the  same  day  at  Koroa.  I  was  surprised  to  see  their  In- 
dian corn,  which  was  left  very  green,  grown  already  to  maturity ; 
but  I  have  learned  since  that  their  corn  is  ripe  sixty  days  after  it  is 
sown.  They  have  three  or  four  crops  of  Indian  corn  in  a  year, 
having  no  other  winter  than  some  rain.  They  have  all  sorts  of  trees 
we  have  in  Europe,  and  many  others  unknown  to  us.  There  are 


208  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

the  finest  cedars  in  the  world,  and  another  tree  from  which  drops  a 
most  fragrant  gum,  which  in  my  opinion  exceeds  our  best  perfumes. 
The  cotton  trees  are  of  a  prodigious  height ;  the  savages  make  them 
hollow  with  fire,  to  make  their  pirogues  of  them.  We  saw  some  of 
them,  all  of  a  piece,  above  one  hundred  feet  long.  They  told  us, 
"  That  to  the  westward  are  some  beasts  who  carry  men  upon  their 
backs,"  and  showed  us  the  hoof  and  part  of  the  leg  of  one,  which 
was  certainly  the  hoof  of  a  horse  ;  and  surely  horses  are  not  utterly 
unknown  in  northern  America ;  for  near  the  cape  named  by  us 
St.  Anthony,  we  saw  a  horse  and  some  other  beasts  painted  upon  the 
rock  with  red  colors,  by  the  savages.  But  whereas  we  had  been 
told  that  the  Spaniards  of  New  Mexico  lived  not  above  forty  leagues 
from  them,  and  supplied  them  with  European  commodities,  we  found 
nothing  among  them  that  might  be  suspected  to  come  from  thence, 
unless  it  be  some  little  pieces  of  glass  strung  upon  a  thread,  with 
which  the  women  adorn  their  heads.  We  left  the  habitations  of  the 
AkansaSj  the  4th  of  April,  and  during  sixty  leagues  saw  no  savage. 
Our  provisions  being  spent,  we  had  nothing  to  live  upon  but  the 
game  we  killed,  or  the  fish  we  could  catch.  On  the  12th,  as  my 
two  men  were  boiling  a  buzzard,  and  myself  refitting  our  canoe  on 
the.,  bank  of  the  river,  I  perceived  on  a  sudden,  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  no  less  than  fifty  canoes  made  of  bark,  manned  with 
one  hundred  and  twenty  savages  stark  naked,  coming  down  the  river 
with  an  extraordinary  swiftness,  to  surprise  the  Miamis  and  Illinois, 
their  enemies. 

We  threw  away  the  broth  which  was  preparing,  and  getting 
aboard  as  fast  as  we  could,  made  towards  them,  crying  out  in  the 
Iroquois  and  Algonquin  languages,  "  Comrades,  we  are  men  of 
wooden  canoes  ;"  for  so  they  call  those  that  sail  in  great  vessels. 
This  had  no  effect,  for  they  understood  not  what  we  said  ;  so  that 
surrounding  us  immediately,  they  began  to  let  fly  their  arrows  at  us, 
till  the  eldest  amongst  them  perceiving  that  I  had  a  calumet  of  peace 
in  my  hand,  came  up  to  us  and  prevented  our  being  murdered  by 
their  warriors. 

They  presently  jumped  out  of  their  canoes,  some  upon  land,  others 
into  the  water  ;  surrounding  us  on  all  sides  with  shrieks  and  outcries 
that  were  indeed  terrifying.  It  was  to  no  purpose  to  resist,  being 
but  three  to  so  great  a  number.  One  of  them  snatched  the  pipe  of 
peace  out  of  my  hand.  We  presented  them  with  some  small  pieces 
of  Martiriico  tobacco,  and  made  signs  to  them  with  our  oars  upon  the 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  200 

sand,  that  the  Miamis,  their  enemies,  whom  they  were  in  search  of. 
had  passed  the  river,  and  were  gone  to  join  the  Illinois. 

Being  then  out  of  all  hopes  of  surprising  their  enemies,  three  or 
four  of  the  eldest  of  them  laid  their  hands  on  my  head,  and  began  to 
weep  bitterly,  accompanying  their  tears  with  such  mournful  accents 
as  can  hardly  be  expressed  ;  while  I,  with  a  sorry  handkerchief  I 
had  left,  made  shift  to  dry  up  their  tears ;  however,  to  very  little 
purpose ;  for  refusing  to  smoke  in  our  calumet,  they  thereby  gave 
us  to  understand  that  their  design  was  still  to  murder  us  ;  and  one 
hundred  of  their  leaders  coming  up  to  us,  made  us  to  understand  by 
signs,  that  their  warriors  were  resolved  upon  our  death.  This 
obliged  me  to  apply  myself  to  their  chiefs,  and  presented  them  with 
six  hatchets,  fifteen  knives  and  some  pieces  of  tobacco  ;  after  which, 
bending  my  neck  and  pointing  to  a  hatchet,  I  signified  to  them,  by 
that  submission,  that  we  threw  ourselves  on  their  mercy. 

The  present  had  the  good  effect  to  soften  some  of  them,  who,  ac- 
cording to  their  custom,  gave  us  some  beavers'  flesh  to  eat,  them- 
selves putting  the  three  first  bits  in  our  mouths,  having  first  blown 
upon  it,  because  it  was  hot ;  after  this  they  set  their  platter  before 
us,  made  of  the  bark  of  a  tree,  leaving  us  at  liberty  to  feed  after  our 
own  fashion.  These  civilities  did  not  hinder  us  from  passing  the 
night  away  very  uneasily,  because  in  the  evening,  before  they  went 
to  sleep,  they  had  returned  us  our  calumet  of  peace.  The  two 
canoemen  resolved  to  sell  their  lives  as  dear  as  they  could,  and  to 
defend  themselves  like  men  to  the  last,  in  case  they  should  attack  us. 
For  my  part  I  told  them,  I  resolved  to  suffer  myself  to  be  slain  with- 
out the  least  resistance,  in  imitation  of  our  Saviour.  However,  we 
watched  all  night  by  turns,  that  we  might  not  be  surprised  in  our 
sleep. 

The  next  morning  early,  one  of  their  captains  who  had  been  for 
killing  us,  came  and  demanded  my  pipe  of  peace  ;  it  being  delivered 
him,  he  filled  it  with  tobacco,  and  made  the  rest  who  had  been  for 
putting  us  to  death  to  smoke  in  it ;  then  he  made  signs  that  we  must 
go  along  with  them  into  their  country,  to  which  they  were  then  re- 
turning. This  proposal  was  very  welcome  to  us,  and  we  rowed  in 
their  company  for  nineteen  days  together,  sometimes  north,  and 
sometime  northeast,  according  to  the  best  observations  wo  could 

'  O 

make  by  our  compass;  so  that  after  these  barbarians  had  forced  us 
to  follow  them,  we  made  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  leagues 
up  the  river  Mississippi,  and  we  were  got  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  leagues  up  the  same,  above  that  of  the  Illinois,  when  we  were 

15 


210  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

first  taken  by  them.  One  of  the  nineteen  days  of  our  most  tire- 
some voyage,  a  captain  called  Aquipaguetin,  who  afterwards  adopted 
me  for  his  son,  had  killed  a  large  fat  deer,  to  which  he  invited  the 
chief  captairts  of  the  warriors.  After  the  repast,  the  savages, 
with  their  hair  anointed  with  oil  of  bears,  and  stuck  all  over  with 
red  and  white  feathers,  and  their  heads  covered  with  the  down  of 
birds,  began  to  dance  with  their  hands  upon  their  hips,  and  striking 
their  feet  with  great  force  against  the  ground.  During  the  dance, 
one  of  the  sons  of  the  master  of  the  ceremonies  made  them  all  smoke 
in  the  pipe  of  war,  himself  shedding  abundance  of  tears.  The 
father  in  the  meanwhile  laying  his  hands  on  our  heads,  and  lifting 
up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  bathed  himself  in  tears.  As  for  us.  as  far  as 
we  could  judge,  all  this  grimace  boded  us  no  good  ;  and  indeed,  we 
afterwards  understood  that  he  meant  nothing  less  than  our  destruc- 
tion bv  it.  But  finding  the  opposition  he  was  like  to  meet  from  the 
other  chiefs,  who  were  of  a  contrary  opinion,  he  was  content  to  sutler 
us  to  re-embark,  resolving,  however,  to  make  use  of  some  other 
stratagem  to  get  into  his  own  hands,  by  little  and  little,  the  rest  of 
our  things  ;  not  daring  to  take  them  from  us  openly  by  force,  for 
fear  of  the  rest  of  his  o\ui  nation  ;  by  which  it  plainly  appears,  that 
lie  was  a  crafty  designing  knave.  His  son  was  killed  by  the  Aliamis, 
and  finding  lie  could  not  revenge  himself  on  that  nation,  he  vented  his 
passion  upon  us.  Having  thus  travelled  nineteen  days  in  our  canoe 
by  water,  we-  came  within  six  leagues  of  the  fall  of  St.  Anthony, 
where  they  held  an  assembly  to  consult  what  they  should  do  with 
us.  At  last  they  separated  and  ga\e  us  to  three  of  their  chiefs,  in- 
stead  of  three  of  their  sons  which  had  he-en  killed  in  the  \utr  :  then 
they  sei/.ed  our  canoe  and  took  away  all  our  equipage  ;  our  canoe 
they  pulled  to  pieces  ;  their  own  they  hid  among  the  alders,  so  that 
though  we  might  haw  gone  conveniently  enough  quite  up  inio  their 
country  by  water,  yet  we  were  obliged  by  their  conduct  to  travel  no 
less  than  sixty  leagues  atoot. 

Our  ordinary  marches  were  from  break  of  day  till  ten  at  ni<rht; 
and  \\iien  we  met  with  any  rivers,  we-  swam  them,  themselves  (who 
for  the  most  part  are  of  an  extraordinary  size)  carrying  our  clothes 
and  equipage  on  their  heads.  \\"e  never  eat  but  once  in  twenty- 
four  hour-,  and  then  nothing  but  a  few  scraps  of  meat  dried  in  smoke, 
after  their  fashion,  which  they  afforded  us  with  abundance  of  regret. 

1  \MIS  so  \veak  that  I  often  lay  down,  resolving  rather  to  die  than 
follow  these  savav.es  any  farther,  who  travelled  at  a  rate  so  extraor- 
dinary, as  far  surpasses  the  strength  of  any  European.  However. 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  211 

to  hasten  us,  they  sometimes  set  fire  to  the  dry  grass  in  the  meadows 
through  which  we  passed,  so  that  our  choice  was,  march  or  burn. 
When  we  had  thus  travelled  sixty  leagues  afoot,  and  undergone  all 
the  fatigues  of  hunger,  thirst,  and  cold,  besides  a  thousand  outrages 
daily  done  to  our  persons;  as  soon  as  we  approached  their  habita- 
tions, which  are  situated  in  morasses  inaccessible  to  their  enemies, 
they  thought  it  a  proper  time  to  divide  the  merchandize  they  had 
taken  from  us.  Here  they  were  like  to  fall  out  and  cut  one 
another's  throats  about  the  roll  of  Martinico  tobacco,  which  might 
still  weigh  about  fifty  pounds.  Then  arose  a  high  dispute  about  the 
distribution  they  were  to  make  of  our  persons.  At  last,  Aquipague- 
tin,  as  head  of  the  party,  carried  it ;  who  turning  towards  me.  pre- 
sented me  his  caliimet  of  peace  to  smoke  in,  receiving  from  me  at 
the  same  time  that  which  we  had  brought,  and  then  adopted  me  for 
his  son,  in  the  room  of  him  he  had  lost  in  the  war. 

Two  other  captains  did  the  same  by  the  two  canoemen.  This  se- 
paration was  very  grievous  to  us,  though  somewhat  allayed  by  the 
satisfaction  we  had  to  find  our  lives  were  safe.  Picard,  bein"-  sensi- 

'  o 

ble  of  the  uncertain  condition  his  life  was  in  among  so  barbarous  a 
people,  took  me  aside  to  confess  him.  I  should  have  been  overjoyed 
to  have  seen  Ako  so  well  disposed.  Being  thus  parted,  the  savages 
led  us  away,  each  to  his  own  village. 

I  came  to  Aquipaguetin's  habitation  in  the  month  of  May,  1680. 
The  next  day  he  showed  me  to  six  or  seven  of  his  wives,  telling  them 
that  they  were  to  esteem  me  as  one  of  their  sons,  and  ordered  those 
about  him  to  give  me  the  title  that  was  due  to  the  rank  which  I  was 
to  hold  amongst  my  new  kindred. 

I  spent  three  months  very  ill  in  this  place  among  the  Issati  and 
Nadovessians.  My  new  father  gave  me  nothing  to  eat  but  a  few 
wild  oats  fi\e  or  six  times  a  week,  and  the  roes  of  dried  fish.  He 
sent  me  into  a  neighboring  i*le  with  his  wives,  children,  and  servants, 
where  I  digged,  with  a  pickaxe  and  shovel  I  had  recovered  from  those 
that  robbed  us.  Here  we  planted  tobacco,  and  some  European 
pulse  which  1  brought  from  thence,  and  were  highly  prized  by  Aqui- 
paguetin. 

During  my  stay  among  them,  there  arrived  four  savages  in  em- 
bassy, who  said  they  were  come  above  five  hundred  leagues  from 
the  west,  and  had  been  four  moons  upon  the  way.  They  assured  us 
there  was  no  such  place  as  the  strait  of  Anian.  and  that  they  had 
marched  without  resting,  except  to  sleep,  or  kill  game  for  their  sub- 


212  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

sistenco,  and  had  not  seen  or  passed  over  any  great  lake  ;  by  which 
phrase  they  always  mean  the  sea. 

They  further  informed  us  that  the  nation  of  the  Assenipoulaes, 
who  lie  north-east  from  the  Issati,  was  not  above  six  or  seven  days' 
journey  from  us ;  that  none  of  the  nations  within  their  knowledge, 
who  lie  to  the  west  or  north-west  of  them,  had  any  great  lake  about 
their  countries,  which  were  very  large,  but  only  rivers,  which,  coming 
from  the  north,  run  across  the  countries  of  their  neighboring  nations 
which  border  on  their  confines  on  the  side  of  the  great  lake,  which 
in  their  language  is  the  same  as  sea.  They  further  assured  us  that 
there  were  very  few  forests  in  the  countries  through  which  they 
passed  on  their  way  hither,  insomuch  that  now  and  then  they  were 
so  put  to  it  for  fuel  that  they  were  forced  to  make  fires  of  bulls'  dung 
to  boil  their  victuals.  All  these  circumstances  make  it  appear  that 
there  is  no  such  place  as  the  straits  of  Anian,  as  we  usually  see  them 
set  down  in  maps.  And  whatever  efforts  have  been  made  for  many 
years  past  by  the  English  and  Dutch,  the  two  nations  of  the  world 
who  are  the  greatest  navigators,  to  find  out  a  passage  to  China  and 
Japan  through  the  frozen  sea,  they  have  not  yet  been  able  to  effect 
it.  But,  by  the  help  of  my  discovery,  and  the  assistance  of  God,  1 
doubt  not  but  a  passage  may  still  be  found,  and  that  an  easy  one  too. 
For  example  :  one  may  be  transported  into  the  Pacific  sea  by  rivers 
which  are  large  and  capable  of  carrying  great  vessels,  and  from 
thence  it  is  easy  to  go  to  China  and  Japan  without  crossing  the  equi- 
noctial line;  and  in  all  probability  Japan  is  on  the  same  continent  as 
America. 

Towards  the  end  of  July,  the  Sieur  de  Lutli,  accompanied  with 
five  men,  arrived  in  our  camp  from  Canada  ;  and  because  [  had  some 
knowledge  of  the  language  of  the  Issati.  he  desired  that  1.  with  Pi- 
card  and  Ako,  might  aceompany  him  to  the  villages  of  those  people. 
I  was  very  willing  to  undertake  it,  especially  when  I  understood  that 
they  had  not  received  the  sacraments  in  the  whole  two  years  and  a 
half  that  they  had  been  out  upon  their  voyage.  We  arrived  at  the 
villages  of  the  Issati  the  14th  of  August,  and  having  exchanged  our 
commodities  we  returned  to  the  camp.  Towards  the  end  of  Septem- 
ber we  let  them  understand,  that  to  procure  them  iron  and  other 
merchandises  which  was  useful  for  them,  it  was  convenient  that  we 
should  return  to  Canada;  and  that  at  a  certain  time  when  we  should 
agree  upon  between  us,  they  should  come  half  the  way  with  their 
fur«,  and  we  the  other  half  with  our  European  commodities.  Upon 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  213 

this  they  held  a  great  council,  and  consented  to  our  return.  Ouasi- 
coude,  their  chief  captain,  gave  us  some  bushels  of  wild  oats  for  our 
subsistence  on  the  way,  having  first  regaled  us  in  the  best  manner 
he  could.  These  oats  are  better  and  more  wholesome  than  rice. 
Then,  with  a  pencil,  he  marked  down  on  a  sheet  of  paper  which  I 
had  left,  the  course  we  were  to  keep  for  four  hundred  leagues  toge- 
ther. 

We  put  ourselves  into  two  canoes,  being  eight  Europeans  of  us  in 
all.  We  fell  down  the  river  of  St.  Francis  into  the  Mississippi,  and 
thence  went  up  the  river  Wisconsin,  navigable  for  large  vessels  above 
one  hundred  leagues;  then  we  carried  our  canoes  overland  half  a 
league.  Thus  having  made  more  than  four  hundred  leagues  by 
water  since  our  departure  from  the  country  of  the  Issati,  we  arrived 
at  last  at  the  great  bay  of  the  Puans,  where  we  found  many  Cana- 
dians, who  were  come  hither  to  trade  ;  they  having  some  wine  with 
them,  I  administered  the  sacrament  and  preached.  After  two  days' 
stay,  we  departed  ;  and  after  one  hundred  leagues'  rowing,  having 
coasted  along  the  great  bay  of  Puans,  we  arrived  at  Missilimakinak, 
where  we  were  forced  to  winter. 

We  parted  from  Missilimakinak  in  Easter  week,  1681,  and  having 
rowed  one  hundred  leagues  along  the  side  of  the  lake  Huron,  we 
passed  the  straits,  which  are  thirty  leagues  through,  and  the  lake  of 
St.  Clair,  which  is  in  the  middle  ;  thence  over  the  lake  Erie  to  the 
fall  of  Niagara,  from  whence  we  carried  our  canoe  two  leagues  be- 
low, and  came  to  the  lake  of  Ontario,  or  Frontenac.  When  we  came 
to  the  fort  we  were  kindly  received  by  Father  Luke  Buisset  and  M. 
la  Flour,  who  had  the  command  of  the  fort  in  the  absence  of  M.  de  la 
Salle.  But  our  men  being  eager  to  return  to  Canada,  we  took  leave 
and  went  for  Quebec.  In  two  days  we  came  to  Montreal,  sixty 
leagues.  Count  Frontenac,  looking  out  at  a  window,  saw  me  in  the 
canoe,  and  took  me  for  Father  Luke  Fillatre.  who  served  him  as 
chaplain  ;  but  one  of  his  guards,  knowing  me  again,  went  to  him 
and  acquainted  him  with  my  coming.  He  was  so  kind  as  to  come 
and  meet  me.  and  gave  me  the  best  reception  that  a  missionary  might 
expect  from  a  person  of  that  rank  and  quality.  He  wondered  to  see 
me  so  much  altered,  being  lean,  tired,  and  tanned.  He  carried  me 
to  his  own  house,  where  I  continued  twelve  days  to  refresh  myself. 
He  forbade  all  his  servants  to  give  me  anything  to  eat.  lest  I  should 
fall  sick  if  left  to  my  own  discretion  after  so  long  hardships;  and 
trave  me  himself  what  lie  thought  best. 


214  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

When  1  desired  his  permission  to  go  to  Quebec,  he  appointed  two 
of  his  guards,  who  understood  very  well  to  manage  a  canoe,  to  carry 
me  thither,  where  the  provincial  commissary  of  the  llecollets 
ordered  me  to  return  to  Europe. 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  M.  DE  LA  SALLE  S  UNDERTAKING  TO  DISCOVER  THK 
RIVER  MISSISSIPPI,  BY  WAY  OF  THE  GULF  OF  MEXICO.  BY  FATHER 
LOUIS  HENNEP1N. 

M.  ROBERT  CAVELIKR  DE  LA  SALLE  was  a  person  qualified  for  the 
greatest  undertakings,  and  may  be  justly  ranked  amongst  the  most 
famous  travellers  that  ever  were.  This  will  appear  to  whomsoever 
will  consider  that  he  spent  his  own  estate  about  the  greatest,  most 
important,  and  most  perilous  discovery  that  has  been  yet  made.  Jlis 
design  was  to  find  out  a  passage  from  the  northern  to  the  south  sea 
without  crossing  the  line,  which  a  great  many  have  hitherto  sought 
in  vain.  The  river  Mississippi  does  not  indeed  run  that  way  ;  but 
he  was  in  hopes  by  means  of  that  river  to  discover  some  other  river 
running  into  the  south  sea.  Jn  order  whercunto,  he  endeavored  to 
find  out  by  sea  the  mouth  of  Mississippi,  which  discharges  itself  into 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  settle  there  a  colony,  and  build  a  good  fort  to 
be  as  his  magazine,  and  serve  as  a  retreat  both  by  sea  and  land,  in 
case  of  any  mishap. 

He  made  his  proposals  to  the  French  King's  council,  who,  ap- 
proving the  design,  his  most  Christian  Majesty  gave  him  all  necessa- 
ry authority,  and  supplied  him  with  ships,  men,  and  money.  The 
ships  were  the  Toby,  one  of  the  King's  men  of  war  of  fifty-six  guns, 
a  great  fly-boat,  a  small  frigate,  and  a  ketch.  This  fleet  was  com- 
manded by  M.  JJeaujeau,  u  ho  was  victualled  for  a  year;  and  M, 
de  la  Salic  had  under  his  command  one  hundred  and  iifty  land-men, 
who  were  to  settle  in  the  country;  he  had  also  with  him  twelve 
gentlemen  who  appeared  to  him  vigorous,  and  like  to  hear  the 
fatigues  of  the  vovaye,  among  whom  were  two  of  his  nephews,  viz., 
M.  Moranger  ;md  M.  t'avelier.  the  last  but  fourteen  years  old. 

They  sailed  from  llochellc.  Auinist  the  f>th.  KiS].  and.  passing  by 
Martinicn  and  tluadaloupc,  tr">k  in  fn  sh  provision?  and  water,  with 
divers  \olunteers.  The  ketch  being  separated  by  storm,  was  taken 
by  the  Spaniards  ;  the  other  three  ship 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  215 

February,  in  the  bay  of  Spiritosanto,  and  about  ten  leagues  off  found 
a  large  bay,  which  M.  de  la  Salle  took  for  the  right  arm  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  called  it  St.  Louis.  He  sounded  the  bay,  which  he 
found  deep,  but  narrow  ;  and  therefore  had  expressly  forbid  the 
captain  of  the  fly-boat  to  attempt  to  come  into  it,  without  having  on 
board  the  pilot  of  the  frigate,  who  was  an  experienced  man  ;  and  for 
a  greater  security,  had  commanded  him  to  unlade  his  guns  into  the 
pinnace  to  make  the  ship  lighter;  yet  that  brute  neglecting  those  orders, 
and  without  taking  notice  of  the  poles  they  had  placed  on  the  sands 
to  show  him  the  channel,  sailed  his  ship  at  random,  and  ran  her 
against  a  sand,  where  she  remained.  M.  de  la  Salle  was  ashore, 
and  fearing  the  fate  of  his  ship,  was  going  on  board  to  save  her,  but 
was  prevented  by  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  savages  who  came 
to  attack  him.  He  put  his  men  in  a  posture  of  defence,  but  the 
noise  alone  of  the  drums  put  the  savages  to  flight.  M.  de  la  Salle 
following  them,  presented  the  calumet  of  peace,  which  they  accepted, 
and  came  along  with  him  to  his  camp,  where  he  entertained  them, 
and  sent  them  back  with  some  presents.  They  were  so  pleased  that 
they  brought  some  provisions  the  next  day,  and  made  an  alliance 
with  him,  which  would  have  proved  very  advantageous  to  M.  de  la 
Salle,  had  not  an  unlucky  accident  broken  that  good  intelligence. 

As  they  were  unloading  the  fly-boat  which  had  struck  upon  the 
sand,  to  endeavor  to  get  her  off,  a  pack  of  blankets  fell  into  the  sea^ 
which  the  waves  drove  upon  the  shore.  The  savages  found  it ;  and 
M.  de  la  Salle  having  notice  of  it,  sent  to  demand  it  of  them  in  a 
very  civil  manner  ;  they  showed  some  reluctance,  whereupon  the 
officer,  instead  of  acting  the  prudent  part,  threatened  to  kill  them  un- 
less they  restored  it  immediately.  This  so  frighted  and  incensed 
them,  that  they  resolved  to  be  avenged  of  that  affront  ;  and  in  order 
thereto,  got  together  in  the  night  time  of  the  seventh  of  .March,  10^5, 
and  marched  to  surprise  the  French  camp.  They  advanced  as  near 
as  they  would,  the  sentinel  being  asleep,  and  made  a  discharge  of 
their  arrows,  which  killed  four  gentlemen  officers  and  volunteers, 
and  wounded  M.  Moranger  and  another  volunteer.  The  French  ran 
to  their  arms  and  tired  upon  the  savages,  who  ran  away,  though 
none  were  wounded  ;  and  the  next  day  killed  two  of  M.  de  la  Salie's 
men  whom  they  found  sleeping. 

In  the  meantime,  the  fly-boat  was  unloaded,  which  was  too  far 
sunk  to  be  got  oiF,  and  most  of  the  goods  saved  ;  and  as  they  were 
endeavoring  to  save  the  rest,  she  was  dashed  in  pieces  by  the  vio- 


HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

lence  of  the  waves,  and  several  men  were  in  danger  of  being 
drowned,  but  by  the  grace  of  God  all  escaped. 

M.  Beaujeau  seeing  all  the  goods  and  merchandize  landed,  and  a 
fort  almost  finished,  sailed  the  twelfth  of  March  for  France  ;  and  M. 
de  la  Salle  having  fortified  his  magazine  or  fort,  left  one  hundred 
men  under  command  of  M.  Moranger,  his  nephew,  for  defence  of  it ; 
and  with  the  rest,  being  fifty,  and  three  missionaries,  viz.,  M.  Cave- 
lier,  brother  to  M.  de  la  Salle,  Zenobe,  and  Maxime,  advanced  into 
the  country,  in  hopes  of  finding  the  Mississippi. 

They  built  a  fort  in  a  very  advantageous  post,  defended  by  twelve 
pieces  of  cannon,  and  then  razed  the  first  fort.  The  men  grew  so 
sickly  that  a  great  many  died  within  a  few  days,  notwithstanding 
they  were  carefully  looked  after  and  supplied  with  proper  remedies. 
On  the  ninth  of  August,  three  of  our  men  being  gone  a  shooting,  the 
noise  of  their  guns  was  heard  by  the  savages,  who  immediately  got 
together  in  great  numbers  and  surrounded  the  three  Europeans,  who 
killed  with  the  first  shot  the  general  of  the  savages.  This  sad  acci- 
dent terrified  them  so  much  that  they  ran  away,  notwithstanding  the 
disproportion  in  number  ;  but  they  continued  lurking  about  the  fort, 
and  killed  a  Frenchman  who  had  advanced  too  far  into  the  woods. 

M.  de  la  Salle  seeing  no  way  to  bring  them  to  an  alliance,  re- 
solved to  make  war  upon  them  to  oblige  them  to  come  to  peace,  and 
supplv  him  with  their  pirogues  or  wooden  canoes,  which  he  wanted. 
Therefore  he  set  out  from  his  fort  the  13th  of  October  with  sixty 
stout  men,  having  provided  them  witli  a  kind  of  breast-piece  of  wood 
to  cover  them  against  the  arrows  of  the  savages.  lie  was  not  far 
advanced  when  he  found  them  encamped,  and  had  several  skirmishes, 
killing  and  wounding  a  great  many,  and  returned  with  many  prison- 
ers, lie  had  ordered  the  captain  of  the  frigate  to  sutler  none  of  his 
men  to  lie  ashore  ;  however,  the  captain,  with  six  of  his  best  men, 
charmed  with  the  sweetness  of  the  country,  went  ashore,  and  leaving 
their  canoe  upon  the  ooze  with  their  arms,  went  into  a  meadow  where 
they  fell  asleep,  and  were  all  killed  by  the  savages,  who  broke  their 
arms  and  canoe.  This  s;id  accident  put  the  colony  into  a  consterna- 
tion. M.  de  la  Salic,  having  buried  his  men,  resolved  to  travel  along 
the  coast  to  find  out  the  mouth  of  the  .Mississippi  ;  and,  leaving  the  in- 
habitants and  soldiers  who  were  to  remain  in  tin.'  fort,  set  out  with 
twenty  men  and  M.  Cavelier  his  brother.  The  continual  rains  made 
tin:  ways  very  bad,  and  swelled  several  small  rivulets,  which  gave 
him  a  world  of  trouble.  At  last,  on  the  115th  of  February,  1G8G,  he 
thought  to  have  found  his  so  much  wished  for  river  ;  and  having 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  217 

fortified  a  post  on  its  bank,  and  left  part  of  his  men  for  its  security, 
he  returned  to  his  fort  the  thirty-first  of  March,  charmed  with  his 
discovery.  But  this  joy  was  overbalanced  by  grief  for  the  loss  of 
his  frigate.  This  was  the  only  ship  left  unto  him,  with  which  he 
intended  to  sail  in  a  few  days  for  St.  Domingo,  to  bring  a  new  sup- 
ply of  men  and  goods  to  carry  on  his  design  ;  but  it  ran  unfortu- 
nately aground,  by  the  negligence  of  the  pilot,  and  was  dashed  in 
pieces.  All  the  men  were  drowned,  except  the  Sieur  Chedeville. 
the  captain,  and  four  seamen  ;  the  goods,  linen,  and  cloth  of  the 
colony,  with  the  provisions  and  tools,  were  all  lost. 

M.  de  la  Salle  seeing  all  his  affairs  ruined  by  the  loss  of  his  ship, 
and  having  no  way  to  return  into  Europe  but  by  Canada,  resolved 
upon  so  dangerous  a  journey,  and  took  twenty  men  along  with  him. 
with  one  savage  called  Nicana,  who  had  followed  him  into  France, 
and  had  given  such  proofs  of  his  affection  to  his  master,  that  he  relied 
more  upon  him  than  upon  any  European.  M.  Cavelier,  Moranget. 
and  Father  Anastasius,  desired  likewise  to  accompany  him.  They 
took  with  them  powder  and  shot,  two  axes,  two  dozen  knives,  several 
pounds  of  glass  beads,  and  two  kettles  to  boil  their  meat ;  contenting 
himself  with  these  provisions,  in  hopes  to  find  out  easily  the  Illinois. 
and  return  in  a  short  time.  Having  assisted  at  the  divine  service  in 
the  chapel  of  the  fort,  to  implore  God's  mercy  and  protection,  he  set 
out  the  2'2d  of  April,  1686,  directing  his  march  to  the  north-east.  It 
is  likely  they  wanted  pirogues  and  canoes,  or  else  M.  de  la  Salle 
was  not  sure  that  he  had  found  out  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi, 
otherwise  it  had  been  much  easier  to  have  found  out  the  Illinois 
country  by  water,  he  knowing  that  the  river  of  the  Illinois  runs  into 
the  Mississippi. 

After  three  days'  march,  they  discovered  the  finest  campaign  coun- 
try in  the  world,  and  were  met  by  many  men  on  horseback,  with 
boots,  spurs,  and  saddles,  which  shows  they  had  commerce  with  the 
Spaniards  ;  then  marching  two  days  over  vast  meadows,  they  saw- 
such  numbers  of  wild  oxen,  that  the  least  droves  consisted  of  about 
four  hundred  ;  they  killed  ten  of  them,  and  rested  two  or  three  days 
to  broil  the  meat  for  the  rest  of  their  voyage. 

M.  de  la  Salle  here  altered  his  course,  marching  directly  to  the 
eastward.  As  he  told  nobody  the  reason  of  it,  it  was  impossible  to 
know  what  was  his  motive  ;  he  was  secret  to  a  fault,  and  likely 
would  have  prospered  better,  had  he  been  somewhat  more  commu- 
nicative. In  their  march,  Nicana  the  savage  cried  out  of  a  sudden 
that  he  was  a  dead  man,  having  been  stung  by  a  rattlesnake.  This 


218  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

obliged  them  to  tarry  some  days  in  that  place.  They  gave  him  im- 
mediately some  orvietan  ;  and  having  scarified  the  wound,  applied 
to  it  some  salt  of  vipers,  whereby  he  was  recovered. 

After  several  days'  march  through  a  most  delicious  country,  they 
came  to  a  village  of  the  Cenis,  one  of  the  most  populous  arid  largest 
in  America,  being  about  twenty  leagues  long,  not  in  a  continued 
street,  but  because  the  hamlets  are  so  near  one  another  that  the  whole 
looks  as  if  it  were  but  one.  They  found  among  them  several  things 
which  they  must  have  had  from  the  Spaniards,  as  pieces  of  eight, 
silver  spoons,  lace,  clothes,  and  horses.  They  had  also  a  bull  of  the 
pope,  exempting  the  Spaniards  of  New  Mexico  from  fasting  in  sum- 
mer. Horses  are  so  common  that  one  was  exchanged  for  an  axe, 
and  a  fine  one  was  olfered  for  Father  Anastasius's  capuch.  They 
presented  M.  de  la  Salle  with  their  calumet  of  peace  in  great  cere- 
mony. By  them  he  understood  their  country  to  be  but  six  days' 
journey  from  the  Spaniards.  [laving  tarried  several  days  among 
the  Cenis,  he  continued  his  march  through  the  country  of  the  Nas- 
sonis,  where  four  of  his  men  ran  away  to  that  people,  which  sadly 
vexed  him  ;  and  a  few  days  after,  lie,  together  with  M.  Moranget, 
his  nephew,  fell  sick  of  a  violent  fever,  which  obliged  our  travellers 
to  tarry  in  that  place  for  several  weeks  •  for,  notwithstanding  they 
recovered,  it  was  a  long  time  before  they  were  able  to  continue  their 
voyage.  This  distemper  disappointed  all  their  measures,  and  was 
the  occasion  of  several  misfortunes  that  befel  them  afterwards.  They 
tarried  two  whole  months,  being  reduced  to  the  greatest  extremities. 
Their  powder  was  almost  spent,  though  they  were  not  advanced 
above  one  hundred  and  lifty  leagues  in  a  direct  line.  Some  of  his 
men  had  deserted  ;  others  began  to  be  irresolute  ;  and  all  these  things 
being  carefully  considered,  M.  de  la  Salle  resolved  to  return  to  Fort 
Louis.  Everybody  approving  it,  they  returned  the  same  way,  with- 
out meeting  any  remarkable  accident,  except  that  one  of  them  was 
swallowed  by  a  crocodile  of  a  prodigious  si/.e  in  rcpassing  a  river. 
They  came  to  their  camp  the  17th  of  October,  lu'^fi,  where  they 
were  received  with  an  incredible  K»y  bv  their  companions,  who  cave 

.'          t,  i  O 

them  over  lui"  lost  among  those  barbarous  nations.  He  remained 
two  months  and  a  half  at  Fort  Louis,  during  which  time  he  forgot 

o  o 

not  to  comfort  bis  small  colony,  which  began  to  multiply,  several 
children  being  born  since  their  arrival. 

Having  cast  up  a:i  intrenchment  about  a.  large,  enclosure,  wherein 
uere  the  habitations  of  the  colony,  under  the  cannon  of  the  fort,  and 
taken  all  other  precautions  ibr  their  security,  be  called  the  inhabit- 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  219 

ants  together,  and  made  so  pathetic  a  speech  to  them  about  the 
necessity  he  was  under  to  make  a  voyage  to  the  Illinois  country, 
that  he  drew  tears  from  every  one  of  the  assembly,  for  he  was  very 
much  beloved.  Then  taking  twenty  men  with  him,  with  his  brother, 
his  two  nephews,  Father  Anastasius,  and  the  Sieur  Joutel,  after 
public  prayer,  he  set  out  a  second  time  from  Fort  Louis,  and 
resolved  not  to  return  till  he  had  found  the  Illinois. 

M.  de  la  Salle  set  out  from  the  fort  the  7th  of  January,  1687 ; 
and  having  crossed  the  river  Salbonniere  and  Hiens,  with  divers 
others  which  were  mightily  swollen  by  the  rains,  they  came  into  a 
fine  country  for  hunting,  where  his  people  refreshed  themselves  after 
their  tiresome  travel,  with  excellent  good  cheer  for  several  days 
together.  lie  had  sent  out  M.  Moranger  his  nephew,  his  lackey 
Saget,  and  seven  or  eight  of  his  men  to  a  certain  place  where 
Nika,  hi*  huntsman  aforementioned,  had  laid  up  a  stock  of  wild 
bulls'  flesh,  that  they  might  get  it  smoked  and  dried  to  carry  along 
with  them,  and  so  not  be  obliged  to  halt  so  frequently  to  hunt  for 
provisions. 

With  all  his  prudence,  he  could  not  discover  the  conspiracy  of 
some  of  his  people  to  kill  his  nephew  ;  for  they  resolved  upon  it. 
and  put  it  in  execution,  all  of  a  sudden,  on  the  17th  of  March, 
wounding  him  in  the  head  with  a  hatchet.  They  slew  likewise  the 
lackey  and  poor  Nika,  who  had  provided  for  them  by  his  hunting, 
with  great  toil  and  danger.  Moranger  languished  under  his  wound 
for  two  hours,  forgiving  his  murderers,  and  embracing  them  fre- 
quently. But  these  wretches,  not  content  with  this  bloody  fact, 
resolved  not  to  stick  here,  but  contrived  how  to  kill  their  master  too, 
for  they  feared  he  would  justly  punish  them  for  their  crime.  M.  de 
la  Salle  was  two  leagues  from  the  place  where  Moranger  was  killed, 
and  being  concerned  at  his  nephews'  tarrying  so  long  (for  they  had 
been  gone  two  or  three  clays),  was  afraid  they  were  surprised  by  the 
savages  ;  whereupon  he  desired  Father  Anastasius  to  accompany 
him  in  looking  after  his  nephew,  and  took  two  savages  along  with 
him.  Upon  the  way,  he  entertained  the  father  with  a  pious  dis- 
course of  divine  Providence,  which  had  preserved  him  in  the  many 
dangers  he  had  undergone  during  twenty  years'  abode  in  America  ; 
when  all  of  a  sudden  Father  Anastasius  observed  that  he  fell  into  a 
deep  sorrow,  of  which  lie  himself  could  give  no  account,  lie  grew 
*nighty  unquiet  and  full  of  trouble,  a  temper  he  was  never  seen  in 
before. 

When  they  were  got  about  two  leagues,  he  found  his  lackey's 


220  HISTORICAL    COLLECTIONS    OF    LOUISIANA. 

bloody  cravat,  and  perceived  two  eagles  (a  common  bird  in  those 
parts)  hovering  over  his  head  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  spied  his 
people  by  the  water  side.  He  went  to  them  and  inquired  for  his 
nephew  ;  they  made  him  little  answer,  but  pointed  to  the  place  where 
he  lay.  Father  Anastasius  and  he  kept  going  on  by  the  river  side, 
till  at  last  they  came  to  the  fatal  place,  where  two  of  the  villains  lay 
hid  in  the  grass ;  one  on  one  side,  and  one  on  the  other,  with  their 
pieces  cocked.  The  first  presented  at  him,  but  missed  fire  ;  the 
other  fired  at  the  same  time,  and  shot  him  in  the  head,  of  which  he 
died  an  hour  after,  March  19th,  1687. 

Father  Anastasius  seeing  him  fall  a  little  way  from  him,  with  his 
face  all  bloody,  ran  to  him,  took  him  up  in  his  arms  and  wept  over 
him,  exhorting  him  as  well  as  he  could,  in  this  conjuncture,  to  die  a 
good  Christian.  The  unfortunate  gentleman  had  just  time  enough  to 
confess  part  of  his  life  to  him,  who  gave  him  absolution,  and  soon 
after  died.  In  his  last  moments  he  performed,  as  far  as  he  was  ca- 
pable, whatsoever  was  proper  for  one  in  his  condition,  pressing  the 
father's  hand  at  everything  he  said  to  him,  especially  when  he  ad- 
monished him  to  forgive  his  enemies.  In  the  mean  while,  the  mur- 
derers, struck  with  horror  at  what  they  had  committed,  began  to  beat 
their  breasts,  and  detest  their  rashness.  Anastasius  would  not  stir 
from  the  place,  till  he  buried  the  body  as  decently  as  he  could,  and 
placed  a  cross  over  his  grave. 

Thus  fell  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  a  man  of  considerable  merit;  con- 
stant in  adversities,  intrepid,  generous,  courteous,  ingenious,  learned, 
and  capable  of  everything.  He  had  formerly  been  of  the  society  of 
.lesus,  for  ten  or  eleven  years,  and  quitted  the  order  with  consent  of 
his  superiors.  He  once  showed  rne  a  letter,  written  at  Home,  by  the 
general  of  the  order,  testifying  that  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  had  be- 
haved himself  prudently  in  everything,  without  giving  the  least 
occasion  to  be  suspected  guilty  of  a  venial  sin.  He  had  the  ill  hap 
to  be  massacred  by  his  own  servants,  in  the  vigor  of  his  age.  The 
pious  design  he  was  upon,  in  relation  to  the  conversion  of  those  igno- 
rant nations,  seems  to  have  deserved  a  bettor  fate.  But  as  God's 
ways  are  not  our  ways,  we  must  submit  to  Divine  Providence,  with- 
out troubling  ourselves  about  a  vain  inquiry  into  the  secrets  of  CJod 
Almighty. 

Father  Anastasius  hastened  to  find  out  M.  Cavelier,  brother  of  the 
defunct  M.  de  la  Salle,  who  was  a  pious  and  discreet  ecclesiastic, 
perfectly  qualified  for  a  missionary,  to  whom  lie  related  his  death. 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    RIVER    MISSISSIPPI.  221 

The  murderers  came  rudely  into  the  same  cabin  or  hut  presently 
after,  seizing  upon  all  they  found  in  it.  M.  Cavelier,  and  the  Sieur 
Cavelier,  his  nephew,  expecting  the  villains  came  to  butcher  them, 
fell  down  on  their  knees,  and  prepared  themselves  to  die  like  Chris- 
tians ;  but  the  assassins,  moved  with  compassion  at  the  sight  of  the 
venerable  old  man,  and  being  sorry  besides  for  their  late  wicked 
deeds,  resolved  to  spare  them  upon  condition  they  should  never  return 
into  France  ;  but  they  were  a  long  time  before  they  fixed  upon 
granting  them  mercy.  Some  of  them  that  had  a  mind  to  see  their 
kindred  once  again,  endeavored  to  clear  themselves  from  so  detest- 
able an  action  :  others  said  it  was  safest  to  rid  their  hands  of  these 
two  innocent  men,  or  else  they  might  one  day  call  them  to  an  ac- 
count, if  ever  they  met  again  in  France.  They  chose  the  murderer 
of  M.  de  la  Salic  for  their  leader  ;  and  upon  deliberation  resolved 
to  go  to  the  famous  nation  of  the  Cenis.  These  infamous  murder- 
ers, in  their  march,  made  the  two  Cavcliers  serve  them  as  valets, 
giving  them  nothing  but  their  leavings  to  eat.  Upon  the  wav,  a 
contest  arose  between  the  murderer  of  M.  de  la  Salle  and  one  Hans, 
a  German,  about  superiority;  whereupon  their  men  divided,  one 
party  following  Hans,  the  other  the  murderer.  Hans  taking  his 
opportunity,  fired  a  pistol  at  the  murderer;  the  bullet  pierced  his 
heart,  and  he  dropped  down  dead  upon  the  place.  One  of  Hans's 
crew  shot  him  that  killed  M.  Moranger.  in  the  side  :  and  another  let 
fly  just  at  his  head  ;  there  was  no  ball  in  his  musket,  but  the  powder 
setting  fire  to  his  hair,  catched  his  shirt  and  clothes  with  so  much 
violence  that  he  could  not  put  it  out.  but  expired  in  the  flame. 

Thus  Hans  became  leader  of  this  miserable  troop  ;  and  the  Cenis 
being  then  ready  to  march  against  their  enemies,  took  Hans  and  some 
other  Europeans  along  with  them  ;  the  rest  waited  till  they  should 
return,  though  Hans  would  have  persuaded  them  all  to  go,  but  they 
would  not  stir.  As  soon  as  Hans  and  his  party  were  gone,  the  two 
Caveliers,  the  Sieur  Joutel,  Father  Anastasius  and  others,  departed 
out  of  the  country.  The  Cenis  gave  them  two  savages  for  guides. 
Each  had  his  horse,  powder,  and  lead,  with  some  goods  to  defray 
their  charges  on  the  way.  They  marched  north-eastward  through 
the  finest  country  in  the  world.  On  the  5th  of  September,  they  ar- 
rived at  the  mouth  of  the  River  Illinois,  distant  one  hundred  leagues 
from  Fort  Crevrcumr,  and  navigable  all  the  way  for  large  vessels. 
A  savage  seeing  them  enter  his  village,  ran  by  land  to  carry  the 
news  to  M.  Belle  Fontain.  commander  of  the  fort,  who  would  not 


222  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS  OF  LOUISIANA. 

believe  him.  They  following  apace  after  him,  came  to  the  fort 
September  14th,  and  were  presently  conducted  to  the  chapel,  where 
Te  Dcum  was  thankfully  sung.  They  tarried  here  till  the  spring  of 
1688  ;  and,  arriving  at  Quebec  the  27th  of  July,  they  sailed  for 
France  the  20th  of  August  following. 


X  K  W    A  A  1)    V  A  L  u  A  I)  L  E 


B  O  O  K  S, 


PUBLISHED    BY 


WILEY   AND    PUTNAM 


NEW   YORK: 

1846. 


161  Broadway,  January,  1846. 


WILEY  AND  PUTNAM'S 
LIBRARi     OF    CHOICE    READING. 


BOOKS     WHICH     ARE     BOOKS.' 


THK  Publishers  of  the  Library  of  Choice  Reading  beg  leave  to  call  attention 
to  the  following  classification  of  the.  books  published  in  the  scries,  by  which 
it  will  appear  that  novelty,  variety  and  standard  merit  have  always  been 
preserved,  and  the  promise  of  the  original  prospectus  faithfully  kept.  It 
was  proposed  to  publish  "  the  best  books  of  Travels,  Biographies,  works  of 
Classic  Fiction — where  the  moral  is  superior  to  the  mere  story,  without  any 
sacrifice  of  the  interest — occasional  choice  volumes  of  Poetry,  KSSP.VS,  Criti- 
cism, Contributions  to  History,  and  generally  such  single  volumes,  written 
by  men  of  genius,  as  will  equally  delight  the  scholar  and  the  general  reader." 
The  books  already  issued  and  ready  for  immediate  publication  may  be 
arranged  as  follows  : — 

HISTORY    AND     BIOGRAPHY. 

LETTERS  AND  SPEECHES  OF  OLIVER  CROMWELL,  with  Eluci- 
ditions.  My  Thomas  Carlyle. 

LIFE  OF  THE  GREAT  CONDE.     By  Lord  Mahon 

AFTOiilOGR Al'HY  OF  BENVENUTO  CELLINI. 

1/AAK  WALTON'S  LIVES  OF  DONNE.  W<  )TTOX,  HOOKER,  HER- 
BERT AND  SANJ)ERSO.\.  With  memoir  of  the  author  l.\  Zoucli— In 
Press 

POKTRV  AND  TRCTH  FROM  MY  LIFE— AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF 
GOETHE.  Translated  by  Parkc  Godwin.  In  Pros. 

LIFE  OF  JOILN    FOSTER,     liy  Dr.  R\l;md.      Soon. 

LIFE  AND  LET'I'ERS  OF  THOMAS  CAMPBELL.  ily  Dr.  Peattie 
Soo/l. 


BOOKS    OF    TRAVELS. 

EOTHEN;  or,  TRACES  OF  TRAVEL  PROFG1IT  HOME  FROM  THK 

EAST. 

TH"   FRENC.ll    IN   ALC.IERS.     B\  Lady  Duff  Gordon. 
THE  CRESCENT   AND  THE   CROSS.      2  vols.      I5v  Wnrburton 


WILEY     &.      PUTNAM'S  ADVERTISEMENTS. 


SIR  FRANCIS   HEAD'S  BUBBLES  FROM  THE  BRUNNEN 

THE  RHINE.     By  VICTOR  HUGO. 

FATHER  RIPA'S  RESIDENCE  IN  CHINA. 

NOTES  OF  A  JOURNEY  FROM  CORNIIILL  TO  CAIRO.    By  Michael 

Angelo  Titmarsh  (W.  M.  THACKERAY).     Nearly  ready. 
BECKFORD'S  ITALY,    SPAIN,    PORTUGAL,  AND  VISIT   TO  THE 

MONASTERIES  OF  ALCOBACA  AND  BATALHA-In  Press. 

These  will  be  followed  by  SIR  FRANCIS  HEAD'S  ^\"otes  of  a  Journey 
across  the  Pampas ;  WATER-TON'S  Wanderings  in  South  America;  Miss 
RIGBY'S  Letters  from  the  Baltic ;  HENRY  NELSON  COLERIDGE'S  Six 
Months  in  the  West  Indies;  JYotes  of  a  Journey  through  France  and 
Italy,  by  HAZLITT  ;  and  others — forming  altogether  one  of  the  most  original 
and  select  collections  of  books  of  travels  ever  published. 


CLASSIC    FICTION. 

MARY  SCHWE1DLER,  THE  AMBER  WITCH.  The  most  interesting 
Trial  for  Witchcraft  over  published. 

UNDINE  AND  SINTRAM  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS.  From  the  Ger- 
man of  LA  MOTTE  FOUQUE. 

THE  DIARY  OF  LADY  WILLOUGHBY. 

HEADLONG  HALL  AND  NIGHTMARE  ABBEY. 

ZSCHOKKE'S  TALES.  First  and  Second  Series.  Translated  by  PARKE 
GODWIN. 

THE   CROCK  OF  GOLD.     By  MARTIN  FARQUHAR  TUPPER. 

THE  TWINS  AND  HEART."     By  MARTIN  FARQUHAR  TUPPER. 

THE  VICAR  OF  WAKEFIELD. 

THIODOLF  THE  ICELANDER  AND  ASLAUGA'S  KNIGHT.  By 
LA  MOTTE  FOUQUE.  In  Press. 


ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   ENGLISH    AND    FOREIGN 
LITERATURE. 

LEIGH  HUNTS  IMAGINATION  AND  FANCY. 
HAZL1TTS  DRAMATIC  WRITERS  OF  THE  AGE  OF  ELIZABETH 
HAZLITT'S  CHARACTERS  OF   SHAKSPEARE. 
WILSON'S  GENIUS  AND  CHARACTER  OF   BURNS. 
HAZLITT'S  LECTURES  ON  THE   COMIC   WRITERS. 
HAZLITT'S  LECTURES  ON  THE  ENGLISH  POETS. 
TALES  FROM  THE  GESTA  ROMANORUM. 

STORIES  FROM  THE  ITALIAN1  POETS  ;  being  a  summary  in  prose 
of  the  Poems  of  DANTE.  PULCI,  HOIARDO,  ARIOSTO  and  TASSO,  with 
comments  throughout,  occasional  passages  versified,  and  critical  notices 
of  the  lives  and  genius  of  the  authors.  By  LEIGH  HUNT 
WIT  AND  HUMOR:  a  Sequel  to  "  Imagination  and  Fancy."  By  LEIGH 
HUNT.  In  Press 

The  works  of  HAZLITT  in  this  department,  the  most  eloquent  commen- 
tator on  English  Literature,  will  be  followed  by  various  writings  of  CAMP- 
BELL, WILSON,  COLERIDGE,  SOUTHLY,  ELLIS,  and  others. 


WILEY     &      PUTNAM'S  ADVERTISEMENTS 


CHOICE    LITERATURE. 

BASIL  MONTAGU'S  SELECTIONS  FROM  TAYLOR,  SOUTH,  BAR- 
ROW, FULLER,  &c. 

LEIGH  HUNT'S  INDICATOR  AND  COMPANION.     2  vols. 

HOOD'S  PROSE  AND  VERSE.     2  vols. 

CHARLES  LAMB'S  ESSAYS  OF  ELIA. 

HAZLITT'S  TABLE  TALK.     First  scries,  2  vols. 

HAZLITT'S  TABLE  TALK.     Second  series,  2  vols 

TUPPER'S  PROVERBIAL  PHILOSOPHY.     First  and  second  series. 

T.  K.  HERVEY'S  BOOK  OF  CHRISTMAS. 

SKETCHES  FROM  LIFE.  By  LAMAN  BLANCHARD.  Edited,  with  a 
Memoir,  by  Bulwer. 

VISITS  TO  THE  HAUNTS  AND  BIRTHPLACES  OF  ENGLISH 
POETS.  By  WILLIAM  HOWITT.  In  Press. 

A  complete  collection  of  the  writings  of  HAZLITT  and  LEIGH  HUNT  will 
form  part  of  the  series  to  be  published  at  short  intervals  ;  WALTER  SAVAGE 
LANDOR'S  writings  ;  DE  QUINCEY'S  (the  English  opium-eater)  Miscella- 
neous Writings.  Also,  a  series  of  the  old  English  writers,  including  SIR 
THOMAS  MORE,  HERBERT,  FULLER,  SIR  THOMAS  BROWNE,  MILTON, 
SELDEN,  BACON,  and  others. 


THE     POETS. 

SPECIMENS    OF     ENGLISH     DRAMATIC    POETS    WHO    LIVED 

ABOUT  THE  TIME  OF  SHAKSPEARE.    With  Notes.    By  CHARLES 

LAMD. 
TASSO'S  JERUSALEM  DELIVERED.     Translated  by  Edward  Fairfax. 

With  a  critique  by  LEIGH  HUNT,  biographies  by  CHARLES  KNIGHT,  &c. 
THE  BIRTH-DAY  AND  OTHER   POEMS— SOLITARY  HOURS.     By 

CAROLINE  SOUTHEY.      In  Press. 
THE  POETICAL  WORKS   OF  KEATS.    With  a  Life  of  the  Author  and 

Additional  Poems.     Edited  by  R.  MONK.TON  MILNE*,     lu  Press. 
POEMS.     By  THOMAS  HOOD.     In  Press. 


AMERICAN     SERIES. 

Of  the  "Library  of  American   Books,"   the   following  ha\e  already  been 
issued : — 

JOURNAL    OF    AN    AFRICAN    CRUISER.      Edited  by    NATHANIEL 

HAWTHORNE 

TALKS.     By  EDGAR  A.  POE. 
LETTERS   FROM   ITALY.     By  J.  T.  Hr:Ani.rv. 
THE  WIGWAM   AND  THE  CABIX.     By  W.  GII.MORE  SIMMS 
BIG  AiiKL  AND  LITTLE  MANHATTAN.      By  CORNELIUS  MATHEW*. 
WANDERINGS  OF  A  PILGRIM  UNDER  THE  SHADOW  OF  MOUNT 

BLANC.     Bv  the  Rev.  GKOKGK  B.  CHEEVER,  D.D. 


WILEY     4c      PUTNAM'S  ADVERTISEMENTS. 

WESTERN  CLEARINGS.     By  MRS.  C.  M.  KIRKLAXD. 

THE  RAVEN  AND  OTHER  POEMS.     By  EDGAR  A.  POE. 

VIEWS  AND  REVIEWS  IN  AMERICAN  HISTORY,  LITERATURE 

AND  FICTION.  By  W.  GILMORE  SIMMS.  In  Press. 
THE  ALPS  AND  THE  RHINE.  By  J.  T.  HEADLEY. 
WANDERINGS  OF  A  PILGRIM  UNDER  THE  SHADOW  OF  THE 

JUNGFRAU.     By  the  Rev.  GEORGE  B.  CHEEVER,  D.D. 
THE  WILDERNESS  AND   THE  WAR-PATH.     B}  JAMES  HALL.     In 

Press. 
A  NEW  COLLECTION  OF  TALES.      By  NATHANIEL  HAWTHOR.VE 

In  Preparation. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

ROBINSON'S  NEW  WORK  ON  CALIFORNIA.     In  Press. 
EXPLANATIONS  :  by  the  author  of  "  Vestiges  of  the  Natural  History  o, 

Creation."     Just  ready. 
WONDERFUL  TALES  FOR  CHILDREN.       By   MARY    Hovrixr.      In 

Press. 

MYSTERIES  OF  TOBACCO.     Second  Edition.     In  Press. 
GLIMPSES  OF  THE  WONDERFUL.     Second  Series.     In  Press. 
ALEXANDER  ON  ISAIAH.     In  Press. 


WILEY  AND  PUTNAM'S  ADVERTISEMENT, 


DR.    LYELL'S   TRAVELS    IN    THE    U.    S. 

TRAVELS   IN  NORTH  AMERICA,  IN  THE  YEARS  IS  11-2;  WITH 

GEOLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS  ON   Till:   UNITED 

STATES,  CANADA,  AND  NOVA    SCOTIA. 

By  CHARI.KS  LYELL,,  Esq.  E.R.S.,  Author  of  I'll o  Principles  of  Geology. 
1  thick  vol.  12mo.,  beautifully  printed,  with  engravings  and  colored  maps, 
$'1  75  ;  or  the  same,  bound  iu  2  vols.,  :~2  UO  ;  also,  a  cheap  ed'.tion  with  cuts, 

'/'<")  Cents. 

'•We  heartily  commend  this  work  of  Mr.  Lyell's  to  our  readers,  and 
assure  them  that  its  perusal  will  he  an  intellectual  treat.  His  scientiiic 
notes  are  of  great  value,  and  make  us  rather  proud  oj'  our  country."'  — 
American  jlgricvlturi.it. 

"The  production  of  a  ripe  scholar,  and  science  is  cosmopolite.  The 
work  is  full  of  shrewd  and  sensible  observations." — ~\'t-iv  Or/.  1't-c. 

"  Wo  indeed  rejoice  that  so  careful  an  observer  of  the  phenomena  of  na- 
ture has  given  us  such  a  mass  of  facts,  all  of  which  are  well  authenticated." 
— Lutheran  ObscrciT. 

"Full  of  interesting  and  valuable  results." — Si  nuns'  .^Fo.  .l^/ir 

"  This  book  is  the  most  sensible  over  written  en  America  hv  an  English 
man." — Graham's  .Magazine. 

"  The  author  is  just  the  kind  of  traveller  whose  opinions  we  should  re- 
spect. No  one  can  read  his  work  without  being  struck  by  the  fairness  of 
spirit  and  the  sincerity  with  which  lie  writes." — Pic/ii/unt-. 

"Mr.  Lyell's  book  is  quite  a  gem.  We  gather  from  every  page  of  thia 
work,  the  most  valuable  information.  His  discussions  throughout  are  ex- 
ceedingly learned." — True  Sun. 

"A  most  interesting  work,  and  one  of  the  highest  practical  value."— 
Pittsburgh  Chron. 

"  It  contains  a  mass  of  information  of  a  scientific  character  that  renders  it 
most  welcome  to  American  readers." — Hartford  Cinn-aut. 

"This  worlc  will  prove  a  most  acceptable  one  to  American  readers  as  a 
book  of  popular  interest,  and  of  useful  scientiiic  information." — .V.  Y.  Civics. 

"  It  is  a  record  of  the  observations  of  a  most  intelligent  traveller  and  fas- 
cinating writer.  .  .  .  The  author  has  the  rare  faculty  of  making  iiis  readers  feel 
as  it  they  were  his  comjidgnoitu  <le  voi/<ig<:  ;  and  everything  that  he  relates 
seems  to  become  with  them  almost  a  matter  of  personal  experience.  The 
grace  and  beauty  and  power  with  which  he  describes  the  scenes  and  places 
til  at  he  witnessed  and  visited,  have  not  been  surpassed  by  any  modern 
traveller." — Allnunj  Argus. 

"  This  is,  indeed,  a  refreshim;  book.  It  is  from  the  t  e:i  of  a  man  of 
known  science;  but  lie  is  also  a  philosopher,  and  one  who  looks  rather  at 
the  great  causes  and  their  eiiects  i  a  Nature  and  in  society,  than  at  those  trills 
which  take  up  the  attention  of  lessor  minds,  and  upon  which  such  minds 
but  too  frequently,  alone  deli-ht  to  dwell."  — £«//'<//«  1'ilnt. 

"Few  books  more  really  valuable  have  recently  been  issued  from  the 
American  press.'' — liujj'iiln  .'lifn  r/if-i  r. 

"  Its  scientiiic  investigations,  and  its  impartiality  as  a  Journal,  render  this 
work 'wort  by  of  being  extensively  read." — Hunt's  .Mit^azini. 

"  We  have  read  this  book  with  great  pleasure  and  instruction,  ....  and 
can  conlideiitly  recommend  it.'' — .V.  U.  Delta. 

"We  must  now  leave  this  desi  ruble  and  instructive  publication  to  the 
popularity  it  so  well  deserves,  both  from  the  scientiiic  and  the  general 
reader."—  Anglu-Aintricun. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  "below 


Las  AflGftLJES 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA      000018713 


t 


DO   NOT    REMOVE 
THIS    BOOK  CARD 


^•LIBRARY 


University  Research  Library 


u  - 


J 


m 


